Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, an immigrant himself, talked how immigrants need to act when they come to the U.S. — legally and responsibly.
That is the message he gave Tuesday when a guest on “The View,” per Fox News.
“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, that we’ve got to do things legal,” he said.
Schwarzenegger, a native of Austria, immigrated to the United States in 1968. He became a U.S. citizen in 1983, The Hill reported.
“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, because, 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,” Schwarzenegger said.
Watch the video below:
The panel of cohosts asked Schwarzenegger about U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the National Guard being in Los Angeles.
He said immigrants need to “give back to America” and make this a better place.”
“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.
Whoopi Goldberg retorted that “90% of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing.”
Co-host Sunny Hostin agreed.
“Immigrants are less likely to commit crimes in this country than actual American-born citizens,” Hostin said.
Schwarzenegger then said both political parties need to work on immigration reform.
“All of this is happening because we don’t have immigration reform,” he said. “Democrats and Republicans have to come together and solve this issue 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.”
