Holly Ocasio Rizzo

Holly just nished advising a student news operation for the rst time at Cal State Fullerton, where she has taught part time since 2002. It was a blast from the past -- and a blast into the present and the future, with a multimedia website as part of the deal. The best part of teaching is seeing her students succeed, and a new crop will graduate the day we start in El Paso. When not at CSUF, she writes and edits for websites, magazines and books (prole at LinkedIn.com). It's a fulltime business – or was, until advising took over her life -- begun proactively as layos loomed at the San Francisco Chronicle, where she was an assistant city editor. Her sta career as a reporter and editor took her to papers in Michigan, New York, Arizona and elsewhere in California; got her halfway around the world; and let her experience radio and TV.

A sign marks an area restricted by the U.S. Border Patrol near the line between Juarez and El Paso. (Mariana Dell/Borderzine.com)

New policy could change role of U.S. Border Patrol agents

By Holly Ocasio Rizzo | May 24, 2012

EL PASO – Border Patrol agents might soon switch from sitting in trucks along the U.S.-Mexico border to helping traffic move more efficiently on the international bridges. This scenario comes from the idea of Border Patrol agents collaborating with other government agencies and institutions. Border Patrol Chief Michael Fisher in May announced a strategy plan to fight transnational crimes and drugs, support Homeland Security efforts and aid U.S. Customs and Border Protection. One possible outcome might be reassigning Border Patrol agents to Customs border crossings to reduce the long wait. “Currently Customs and Border Protection needs all of the staffing help that they can get – in particular at our ports of entry,” said El Paso City Representative, Steve Ortega, through an email statement.