Washington ? The Bush administration may back off plans to require that visa-carrying Mexicans who make short visits to the United States and stay close to the border be fingerprinted and photographed, a senior U.S official said Thursday.

The move would be a concession to Mexican President Vicente Fox, who begins a two-day visit today to President Bush’s ranch in Crawford, Texas.

Asa Hutchinson, Homeland Security’s undersecretary for border and transportation, told the House Government Reform Committee that the administration may roll back plans for the extra security procedures for Mexicans with so-called laser visas.

Afterward he went a bit further, telling reporters, “I think that is what probably will be necessary.”

A government official and a congressional source who spoke on condition of anonymity said Hutchinson had planned to use the appearance on Capitol Hill to announce that the administration would change the policy. His prepared remarks reflected that.

But just before he testified, someone in the administration raised concerns about announcing the plan before all security issues had been resolved, and Hutchinson would only say the idea was under consideration, according to the government official.

Mexicans make millions of quick trips across the border each year. In San Diego alone, more than 165,000 people enter from Mexico each day, many for work and school.

Those who have laser visas are allowed to stay in the country three days provided they remain within 25 miles of the border zone, and 75 miles in Arizona. Such visas are issued to people who have undergone background checks and consulate interviews where they are fingerprinted and photographed. The visas generally are held by workers and people who need to make frequent short trips across the border.

As part of the new US-VISIT program, those people are to be fingerprinted and photographed before crossing the border starting sometime before the end of the year.

Mexican border officials and officials in U.S. border communities feared that could lead to long delays or prompt fewer people to enter the country. Either scenario would hurt local economies that rely on a steady flow of visitors.