CA National Guard border duty could be delayed

By Amy Isackson / Border Reporter, KPBS Public Broadcasting

Published May 29, 2006 at 9:00 PM PDT

This story was published more than 18 years ago.

It is unlikely California National Guard troops will arrive at the border before the beginning of July, if at all. KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson has the story.

It is unlikely California National Guard troops will arrive at the border before the beginning of July, if at all. KPBS Reporter Amy Isackson has the story.

Last week, the Chief of the National Guard told Washington lawmakers 800 agents could be stationed border wide by the beginning of June.

But California National Guard spokesman John Siepmann says troops will not arrive at California's border that quickly. He says his agency and the Border Patrol are still working out deployment details.

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Siepmann: "We've taken a look at a variety of missions that they believe they need support with for instance transportation, engineering assets to continue to build the border fence, administrative support and aerial photography."

Siepmann says they also must determine if California troops are equipped to carry out these activities, or if they need to call in troops from other states.

Ultimately, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger must approve any deployment. 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.

See stories by Amy Isackson