Arnold Schwarzenegger says immigrants need to 'behave like guests'

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Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks immigrants need to act like guests when they come to America and “do things legal.”

When asked by The View co-host Joy Behar what he thought of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids happening in California during an appearance on the daytime talk show this week, the former California governor said that newcomers have a responsibility to “keep things clean.”

“I just think the world of the great history that we have with immigrants in America, but the key thing also is at the same time, we’ve got to do things legal,” the father of five said. “That is the most important thing. You’ve got to do things legal, and those people that are doing illegal things in America, and they’re the foreigners, they are not smart … when you come to America, you’re a guest, and you have to behave like a guest, like when I go to someone’s house, and I’m a guest, then I will do everything I can, keep things clean and to make my bed and to do everything that is the right thing to do rather than committing a crime, or being abusive or something like that, so that doesn’t really work in this country.”

The Terminator star, who immigrated to the U.S. in 1968 and became a U.S. citizen in 1983, said that newcomers “use America for the great opportunities,” but added that they need to contribute back to the country’s success.

“You have a responsibility as an immigrant to give back to America and to pay back to America and go and do something for your community for no money whatsoever. Give something back to after-school programs, Special Olympics, or whatever it is, make this a better place,” he said.

As anti-ICE demonstrators took to the streets in parts of Los Angeles to protest mass arrests and deportations, Schwarzenegger also weighed in on President Donald Trump’s suggestion that California Governor Gavin Newsom should be arrested.

“Democrats and Republicans have to come together and solve this issue (of immigration reform) if they really want to be public servants. If they want to be party servants, and be party hacks and be tied to their ideology, then it won’t happen,” he said.

“For decades now, this country has needed immigration reform, which means we recognize the fact there’s people in the south of America that want to come north to work, and we should supply them with enough visas to come because we need those workers,” he said. “Then we’d know who is here, we’d be able to get rid of the criminal elements that are here, all this stuff so we wouldn’t be in the mess we’re in right now.”

View co-hosts Whoopi Goldberg and Sunny Hostin pushed back on some of Schwarzenegger’s observations. 

“Arnold, don’t forget 90% of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing,” Goldberg said, while Hostin added that immigrants are “less likely to commit crimes in this country than actually American-born citizens.”

Trump has ordered ICE officers to target at least 3,000 illegals a day, up from about 650 daily during the first months of the president’s second term.

The president later claimed that if he didn’t activate the National Guard in Los Angeles, “the place would be burned down to the ground right now.”

“I did incompetent Governor Gavin Newscum, who doesn’t have a clue, the favor of a lifetime. One of the WORST GOVERNORS IN HISTORY!” Trump shared in a Truth Social post.

In another fiery social media post, Trump accused Democrats in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and New York of using illegal immigrants to steal elections.

“We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where they use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens,” he wrote.

Schwarzenegger and Trump have long been at odds with one another. But back in 2023, Schwarzenegger warned that Democrats “want to f— up every city in America” as he issued a stark warning about his adopted country’s future.

During a chat with Rob Lowe on an episode of SiriusXM’s Literally! With Rob Lowe show, Schwarzenegger was asked what it meant to be a Democrat.

“Ruin your cities,” he replied. “That’s what the Democrats would say. We are about ruining the cities. We want to f— up every city in America. That seems to be the theme right now.”

mdaniell@postmedia.com