Gov. Rick Perry is welcoming Mexico's President Vicente Fox to Texas.

The two are meeting to talk about trade policies, Mexico's water debt to the United States and immigration.

Like many Mexicans in Texas, Elena Orozco and Elsa Gonzalez are eager for change and hopeful that the American government will listen to immigration concerns.

"I'm very glad he's over here. I think it's about time some president of Mexico showed up over here to worry about our needs," Orozco said.

"I don't have high hopes about Governor Perry because of what I read about him. It seems to me like he really doesn't care, but we'll see," Gonzalez said.

Orozco and Gonzalez are volunteers at Latina Mami, a nonprofit that provides basic necessities to Latino immigrants, especially women with children.

Founder Gloria Perez-Walker said she has heard about many people risking their life to get across the border into Texas.

"Varying stories of crossing the border pregnant across the river, women walking across the desert with their children. And another woman told us the story of coming across the border underneath a truck," she said.

These stories are all too common and often end tragically. But the call to the United States and the opportunity to better their lives summons thousands of Mexicans to cross the border any way they can. Once here, undocumented immigrants are limited by their illegal status.

"If you can imagine being in this country and having the stresses of income, any sort of familial situation, and of course, the language barrier. They're dealing with a lot," Perez-Walker said.

Fox wants more work visas issued and more American acceptance of Mexican ID cards.

But at this point, life is difficult for undocumented immigrants. They must keep a low profile, avoid deportation and only seek help in emergency situations.

Just ask the staff at Manos de Cristo, a charitable dental clinic in East Austin.

"So many of the immigrant population are worried about being reported to INS. They're afraid to seek medical help and it is up until the situation becomes extreme that they will come to any sort of medical facility," Michael Lawyer of Manos de Cristo said.

Manos de Cristo doesn't ask if its clients are in the United States legally or not.

Gov. Perry has no real authority to change federal immigration law, but Austin's Mexican population holds onto hope that he will at least listen.