Schwarzenegger calls on immigrants to act like guests

Former California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger says immigrants should behave like guests in the United States. 

Schwarzenegger, an immigrant from Austria who was the governor of California from 2003 to 2011, appeared on The View this week and was asked about the Immigration and Customs Enforcement Raids (ICE) in California. 

What he’s saying: The View co-host Joy Behar asked Schwarzenegger if he has had a visceral reaction to images from the raids. 

• He answered that his experience as an immigrant showed him that the U.S. is the greatest country in the world, going on to say that immigrants need “to do things legal.” 
• “That is the most important thing,” Schwarzenegger said. “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 went on to say that immigrants need to think about how they can give back to the U.S. after receiving great opportunities in education, work and family life.
• “You have a responsibility as an immigrant to give back to America, and to pay back America, and to go and do something for your community for no money whatsoever,” Schwarzenegger said. “Give something back to after school programs, Special Olympics, or whatever it is – make this country a better place.”
• The former governor and Hollywood star also called for bipartisan immigration reform. 
• “All of this is happening because we don’t have immigration reform,” Schwarzenegger 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.”