Schwarzenegger’s Immigration Views Spark Debate on ‘The View’
on Jun 18, 2025
Hollywood Star And Former Governor Of California Speaks On Giving Back To “Greatest Country In The World”
Everyone knows the famous words from President John F. Kennedy’s inaugural address, “Ask not what your country can do for you, ask what you can do for your country.”
Not everyone knows how to apply those words, but Arnold Schwarzenegger recently evoked the sentiment of that message.
On Tuesday, June 17, the Hollywood actor and former Republican governor of California was a guest on ABC’s The View, and he had the opportunity to speak on his perspective regarding the ongoing divide in America over illegal immigration.
During the broadcast, Alyssa Farah, a panelist on The View, asked Arnold, “If you were governor, right now, of California, how would you be handling the ongoing crisis that the state is facing?”
Responding, Arnold said there is a need for “immigration reform,” stating, “Democrats and Republicans have to come together and solve this issue, if they really want to be public servants.”
He added, “If they want to be party servants, and be party hacks and be tied to their ideology, then it won’t happen.”
Giving Something Back To America
Joy Behar then asked Arnold how he perceives the work ICE is doing to remove migrants who are illegally residing in the country.
Rather than answering directly, he began his response by thinking of his own experience, saying, “I’m so happy to see firsthand that this is the greatest country in the world, and this is the land of opportunity.”
Describing himself as “such a proud American, and a proud immigrant that came to America,” Arnold went on to say:
“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. That is the important thing. You’ve got to do things legal, and those people that are doing illegal things in America, and are foreigners, they are not smart, because, when you come to America, you’re a guest, and you have to behave like a guest.”
Using the illustration of a guest at a home, Arnold continued, saying, “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.”
Further, Arnold said, “The important thing is, when you become an immigrant, to think about, ‘OK, I go to America because I want to use America for the great opportunities that America has, in education, jobs, creating a family — all of those things.”
Expounding upon that, he then said:
“If I get all of those things from America, then I have to give something back. You have a responsibility as an immigrant to give back to America and pay back America and go and do something for your community for no money whatsoever. Give something back to afterschool programs, Special Olympics, or whatever it is.”
To this, Whoopi Goldberg, of The View, said, “Don’t forget, 90% of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing.”
Chiming in, Sunny Hostin, of The View, said, “They’re less likely to commit crimes.”
Related: Illegal Immigration Hits Historic Low Under President Trump
Arnold Comments On The Protests In Los Angeles
Whoopi went on to speak of those who she says are being wrongfully “snatched out of the country,” such as “people who have visas,” but she added, “We want all the right people. We don’t want people who are doing bad stuff.”
Then, Sunny doubled down, saying, “Immigrants are much less likely to commit crimes in this country than, actually, American-born citizens.”
Pivoting, Sunny then stated that California Governor Gavin Newsom “did not ask for the National Guard” to be sent to address the protests that have been going on in Los Angeles since June 6.
Following a series of ICE raids in Los Angeles on June 6, agitators in the city began clashing with law enforcement personnel, with destruction of property and looting occurring as well.
The next day, President Donald Trump federalized the California National Guard in an effort to maintain peace and order, with some Marines being deployed to Los Angeles to provide backup a couple days later.
This move by Trump has been decried by Gov. Gavin Newsom, who has said he intends to “take [Trump] to court.”
Offering comment on this to the panelists of The View, Arnold prefaced his comments by reminding everyone that the National Guard situation “is a whole other issue.”
He then said, “Remember, the National Guard is under the governor’s supervision, but, like, for instance, when the National Guard was sent to Iraq, during the Iraqi War, I was not the one who that said, ‘Oh, yeah, go, and go to Iraq.’ The Bush administration came and said, ‘We need those people … and we need the resources, we need the equipment, we need the weapons, we need the vehicles.’”
Several panelists noted that it was the Bush administration who came to then Governor Schwarzenegger, and Arnold replied, “It is very important that we work together. It doesn’t matter who is asking whom, the bottom line is we work together in order to solve the problem.”
Watch his full appearance on The View, here:
Arnold’s American Dream
Speaking of his own journey, Arnold told The View of becoming governor of California, “I am so proud and happy that I was embraced by the American people like that.”
From 2003 to 2011, Arnold was governor of California. Since then, he has returned to Hollywood, acting in film and television.
Arnold, who is now 77, immigrated to the United States from Austria when he was 21 in 1968, and he became an American citizen on September 16, 1983.
On the 40th anniversary of the day he became an American, he shared a video montage of photos from many moments of his life, with the video set to a portion of his 2004 address to the Republican National Convention.
On July 4, at Mount Vernon, the historic Virginia home of George Washington, Arnold revealed to The View that he will be administering the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to immigrants who will legally become citizens that day.
This event is being held as part of a yearlong America 250 celebration, anticipating the 250th anniversary of the July 4, 1776, signing of the Declaration of Independence.
