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Democratic leader tours border, urges comprehensive immigration reform

By Amy Isackson / Border Reporter,  KPBS Public Broadcasting
Published March 21, 2006 at 9:00 PM PST
This story was published more than 18 years ago.

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid toured the California Mexico border today. Reid called for comprehensive immigration reform in advance of next week's Senate immigration debate. KPBS Reporter Amy I

Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid toured the California Mexico border today. Reid called for comprehensive immigration reform in advance of next week's Senate immigration debate. KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson has the story.

U.S. Senator Harry Reid took a break from his border tour to speak with the media at the San Ysdiro port of entry. He said immigration reform must include three elements.

Reid: "Border security, number one. Number two, we have to have a guest worker program. And number three, we have to have a path of the ability of the 11-million people who are undocumented in our country to earn a change of status."

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The Senate judiciary committee reached important compromises on a bill last week that would include a guest worker program. It would also allow for some illegal immigrants already here to earn citizenship.

But, Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist said he'd introduce an enforcement only bill.

Reid said he'll do everything possible to stop Frist's bill. Amy Isackson, KPBS News.

Amy Isackson
Amy Isackson was the border reporter at KPBS from 2004 to 2011. She covered breaking news and feature stories on California-Mexico border issues and immigration, for local and national broadcast. Amy got her start in public radio by pitching a series of stories about rural New Zealand - horse dentistry and sheep sheering - to Radio New Zealand's "Country Life" program. She then worked with Peabody Award-winning radio producers Nikki Silva and Davia Nelson, to help create the Sonic Memorial, a series of stories on the World Trade Center before, during and after 9/11. Amy's work has been recognized with awards from the Associated Press Television-Radio Association of California and Nevada, the California Chicano News Media Association, and the San Diego Press Club. She won the Sol Price Prize for Responsible Journalism in 2009 from the Society of Professional Journalists for her story about high school students smuggling people and drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border. Prior to venturing into the wonderful world of public radio, Amy worked for Yahoo! Inc. for nearly five years as an editorial surfer, associate producer and broadcast communications manager. She majored in Latin American History at Williams College. She grew up in San Diego and made frequent trips south of the border.
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