OnTheIssuesLogo

Arnold Schwarzenegger on Immigration

Republican CA Governor


Voted for Prop. 187 in 1994; apologized for it in 2006

A sign of Arnold's post-partisan era [after re-election in 2006 is that] he finally apologized for his earlier anti-immigrant stance. During the recall campaign, he told reporters that in 1994 he had voted for Proposition 187--the measure that prevented undocumented immigrants from obtaining public services, including education and healthcare. Now, in an interview with a Spanish-language newspaper, he apologized for that vote: "I think, looking back, it was the wrong decision."
Source: The Governator, by Ian Halperin, p.297-298 , Oct 12, 2010

Restrict illegal immigrant rights-they’re a security risk

HUFFINGTON: The good news about Tom McClintock is you know where he stands. There’s no fudging. And that’s what I like about you. With Arnold, it’s all over the map. We are for taking care of kids but not for driving them safely to school or to the emergency room or wherever the health care is to be provided. And ultimately, that’s the kind of pandering to the Pete Wilson team that you are surrounding yourself with, because ultimately they are not going to change. They don’t really fundamentally care for those immigrants in this country.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Arianna, there is no identification, there is no background check. It is dangerous for our security here. Let’s do it the right way. Let’s get them visas. Let’s get them temporary working permits. HUFFINGTON: It is really offensive to think that they are terrorists just because they are here as illegal immigrations.

SCHWARZENEGGER: Let’s get them permanent working permits.

Source: [Xref Huffington] Recall Debate, Cal. State U. at Sacramento , Sep 24, 2003

Voted for Prop. 187, denying services to illegal immigrants

Schwarzenegger, who came to the United States from Austria during the late 1960s, has acknowledged voting for Proposition 187, the 1994 initiative that denied some social services to illegal immigrants. The proposition has since been mostly voided by the courts. The measure was championed by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, currently co-chairman of Schwarzenegger’s campaign.
Source: Associated Press on SFgate.com , Sep 1, 2003

Increase federal reimbursement for border enforcement

Immigrants contribute to the richness of life in California, and I embrace them.

Border enforcement is a federal responsibility. However, state taxpayers currently bear the costs of providing public services to undocumented immigrants, such as incarcerating undocumented immigrants in the state prison system. I will work with other border states, the President, and the US Congress to increase federal reimbursements for these costs.

Source: 2003 Gubernatorial campaign website, JoinArnold.com , Aug 29, 2003

Address undocumented immigrants living underground

Q: What is your position on undocumented immigrants?

A: Proposition 187 has been resolved by the courts. It is time to move on. More than 2.3 million undocumented immigrants currently live in California. They cannot continue to live underground. I will work with federal officials to address this problem.

Source: 2003 Gubernatorial campaign website, JoinArnold.com , Aug 29, 2003

No driver’s licenses to illegal aliens

Schwarzenegger said he does not support giving driver’s licenses to illegal aliens, but he said the issue of offering them other services is not so clear. “That is an issue with the federal government because the governor has nothing, [not] really much power over those things,” Schwarzenegger said.
Source: CNN.com , Aug 28, 2003

Other governors on Immigration: Arnold Schwarzenegger on other issues:
CA Gubernatorial:
Jerry Brown
CA Senatorial:
Barbara Boxer
Dianne Feinstein

Newly seated 2010:
NJ Chris Christie
VA Bob McDonnell

Term-limited as of Jan. 2011:
AL Bob Riley
CA Arnold Schwarzenegger
GA Sonny Perdue
HI Linda Lingle
ME John Baldacci
MI Jennifer Granholm
NM Bill Richardson
OK Brad Henry
OR Ted Kulongoski
PA Ed Rendell
RI Donald Carcieri
SC Mark Sanford
SD Mike Rounds
TN Phil Bredesen
WY Dave Freudenthal
Newly Elected Nov. 2010:
AL: Robert Bentley (R)
CA: Jerry Brown (D)
CO: John Hickenlooper (D)
CT: Dan Malloy (D)
FL: Rick Scott (R)
GA: Nathan Deal (R)
HI: Neil Abercrombie (D)
IA: Terry Branstad (R)
KS: Sam Brownback (R)
ME: Paul LePage (R)
MI: Rick Snyder (R)
MN: Mark Dayton (D)
ND: Jack Dalrymple (R)
NM: Susana Martinez (R)
NV: Brian Sandoval (R)
NY: Andrew Cuomo (D)
OH: John Kasich (R)
OK: Mary Fallin (R)
PA: Tom Corbett (R)
RI: Lincoln Chafee (I)
SC: Nikki Haley (R)
SD: Dennis Daugaard (R)
TN: Bill Haslam (R)
VT: Peter Shumlin (D)
WI: Scott Walker (R)
WY: Matt Mead (R)
Abortion
Budget/Economy
Civil Rights
Corporations
Crime
Drugs
Education
Energy/Oil
Environment
Families/Children
Foreign Policy
Free Trade
Govt. Reform
Gun Control
Health Care
Homeland Security
Immigration
Infrastructure/Technology
Jobs
Principles/Values
Social Security
Tax Reform
War/Iraq/Mideast
Welfare/Poverty


Contact info:
Email Contact Form
Fax Number:
916-558-3160





Page last updated: Nov 21, 2011