Tribune article on GOP Sen. Schultheis' anti-immigration statement omitted past controversy regarding Hispanic crash victims

Summary: The Greeley Tribune reported on February 20 that state Sen. Dave Schultheis (R) "called on church leaders to withdraw their 'pledge of respect' request on immigration issues," and that he further commented on "the invasion of those entering this country illegally." But the Tribune failed to mention Schultheis' controversial October 2006 statements about the immigration status of members of a Hispanic family killed in a Weld County auto accident -- all of whom were U.S. citizens.

A February 20 article in the Greeley Tribune reported that Republican state Sen. Dave Schultheis "has called on church leaders to withdraw their 'pledge of respect' request on immigration issues, dubbing it 'phony.' " However, in reporting Schultheis' comments about "the invasion of those entering this country illegally," the Tribune omitted his past controversial statements regarding the immigration status of the Hispanic victims of a fatal car accident in rural Weld County, all of whom were U.S. citizens.

As the Tribune reported, "Sen. Dave Schultheis, R-Colorado Springs, issued a statement Monday saying 'the purpose of this so-called pledge is to create a stigma on legislators who attempt to convey the truth about the major problems being created as a result of the invasion of those entering this country illegally.' " The article further reported:

The pledge, asking for a respectful tone of discussion on immigration issues, in effect sanctions "the presence of those who break federal law by crossing our borders illegally and taking jobs away from Americans."

In a phone interview with the Tribune, Schultheis added that the pledge request amounts to an attempt to curb debate. "Anything they can do to tell those of us that are opposing (the pledge) to tone it down is basically trying to stifle free speech." Doing it under the banner of religious motivation, he said, is "very disingenuous."

Further, he said, Democratic lawmakers are deliberately shunting illegal immigration issues in favor of health care, transportation and education this year, "at a considerable cost to the taxpayers."

While the Tribune reported Schultheis' criticism of the pledge -- initiated by the Colorado Council of Churches -- and Democratic lawmakers, the article made no mention of a controversial October 4, 2006, email Schultheis sent to the Tribune "questioning the immigration status" of car accident victims in Weld County.

As Colorado Media Matters has noted, the Rocky Mountain News reported on October 10, 2006, that "[a] lawmaker's e-mail to the Greeley newspaper questioning the immigration status of the family of three children killed in a car accident has caused deep divisions in this northern Colorado farm community." According to the News, the October 2, 2006, crash involved 17-year-old Tania Bustillos, the driver; her 15-year-old brother Enrique, who died that evening; her 12-year-old brother Miguel, who died the following day; and her 3-month-old daughter, Destiny Musquiz, who was taken off life support on October 4, 2006.

The News article also noted that, on October 4, 2006, "a reporter for the Tribune received an e-mail from state Rep. Dave Schultheis" in which he asked several questions regarding the immigration status of the victims:

"Was the driver properly licensed? Was the vehicle properly registered and insured? Was this person the child of parents in the U.S. illegally? Or was she here illegally?" Schultheis wrote.

"Why is it that the investigative reports we read in the papers and see on TV do not point out the fact that these accidents and the resulting cost to taxpayers (hospitalization, etc.) are a direct result of our lax immigration policies and enforcement?" he asked.

Later in the article, the News noted that "Schultheis said he did not know that the fatal accident had just happened and that one of the family members had just been taken off life support. He blamed the Tribune for publishing what he said was a question from one of his constituents at an inopportune time."

On October 20, 2006, the News published an open letter from the Bustillos family in which they avowed their legal residency status as well as that of their daughter and deceased sons. The letter also chastised Schultheis for bringing the family's healing process "to an abrupt halt" with his questions:

To answer your questions, yes -- the car was properly registered and insured. Tania followed the required State of Colorado protocol to obtain a driving permit. ALL THE CHILDREN INVOLVED IN THIS ACCIDENT ARE AMERICAN CITIZENS with the same rights as you and your constituent (if the inquiring person is an American citizen). Their mother, Grasiela, is also an AMERICAN CITIZEN. Their father is a LEGAL RESIDENT.

The letter also asked Schultheis, "Is it your position that all Latinos should be assumed 'illegal aliens' unless proven otherwise?"

A News article published on the same day as the letter reported that Schultheis "did not respond ... to four telephone messages and an e-mail seeking response" to the Bustillos letter. Moreover, Cara DeGette of the online political daily news website Colorado Confidential noted in a November 25, 2006, blog entry about Schultheis that the Bustillos family had "asked for a formal apology from the lawmaker, which they never received."

—C.H.