Official Voices on Immigration

Analysis:

This story is a good example of the local news reliance on “official voices” in reporting on an issue. The only voices presented are those of Congressman Vern Ehlers and a short quote from a National Guard officer. It is noted that two local Democratic Senators declined to comment. No non-elected officials are interviewed.

Story:

WZZM Newsreader – President Bush is expected to use his speech at eight o’clock tonight to push for the deployment of National Guard troops to the Mexican border.

WZZM Newsreader #2 – WZZM’s Kathy Reynolds joins us now with details.

Reporter – Well, the president hasn’t even hit the airwaves, and already his proposal is meeting with mixed reviews. At issue, is the role the National Guard would play in border security, and the continuing debate over immigration reform.

Tonight, President Bush will propose using a small percentage of National Guard troops to secure the Mexican border. A White House spokesperson says out of four hundred thousand members, fewer than then thousand will go.

Rep. Vern Ehlers (R-Grand Rapids) – I have voted against deploying troops and in place of border patrol.

Reporter – Congressman Vern Ehlers says the country has called on the National Guard too much. Troops like Wyoming and Greenville have spent years in Iraq, now state society says they should only play a supportive relief-oriented role.

Ehlers – My understanding of the President, simply going to use them as a back-up, they can do the administrative work and things like that without actually being in full gear, deployed with rifles etcetera. That would be more acceptable for me.

Reporter – Major Dawn Dancer tells WZZM 13, quote: “At this point, we have not been told formally or informally that the Michigan National Guard will be involved in this event”. Dancer could not comment further, but the National Guard is the latest in a series of plans aimed at immigration reform. This afternoon, the Senate took up the Guest Worker proposal, which would allow immigrants to remain in the country, as long as they fill jobs American workers don’t want.

Ehlers – I think the President’s Guest Worker program is a good idea.

Reporter – An idea Ehlers says is part of a larger debate. Stopping the flood of illegal immigrants coming into the country, he says, will take more than the National Guard.

Ehlers – Its all very complex, and all tied together. We simply have to have a national dialogue where we can reach some agreement on what we want to do about this.

Reporter – We called Democratic Senator Stabenow and Levin for a response, neither one wanted to comment on the President’s National Guard proposal until after his speech.

Total Time: 2 minutes 3 seconds