Another topic of discussion will likely be immigration reform, an increasingly volatile issue that could come up in the U.S. Senate later this month. Thousands of mostly Latino protestors have taken to the street in past weeks in protest of a bill the U.S. House passed last year, which would make it a felony to be in the country illegally and crack down on those who employ undocumented aliens.

Alex Segura, director of the anti-illegal immigration group Utah Minuteman Project, is planning a protest of Fox's visit, to show a disdain for Mexican policies.

"Mexico needs to take care of its own people," Segura said. "Why is everyone leaving to come here? What's going on?"

But Reyna hoped that an opportunity to hear directly from Fox on the issue would help foster understanding.

"Utah public officials and Utah citizens will be able to hear from (Fox), why is immigration such a big issue ... and what are the solutions to this, based on his own perspective," Reyna said. "To hear that from him in Salt Lake City will make a big difference, and people can make up their own opinions afterward."

Armando Solorzano, associate professor of family and consumer studies at the University of Utah, suggested Fox, an outgoing president in an election year, could use the visit to tout his political party, PAN.

The visit will also give Fox a chance to promote dual citizenship and remittances among Mexican nationals, Solorzano said.

There are 158,664 people of Mexican descent living in Utah, 62,949 of whom are foreign-born, according to the 2000 Census.

Remittances from Utah to Mexico totaled about $148 million in 2004, according to a recent University of Utah report on Utah-Mexico relations.

"There is a section of the Latino population who are opposed to the fact that Mexicans send money to Mexico," Solorzano said. "They want to see Mexicans invest the money here in Utah. President Fox is saying, 'It's fine, we need your money.' "

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E-mail: dbulkeley@desnews.com