Alleged Visa Violator Bashes Immigrants

In the last two weeks, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R) has unleashed a series of vicious attacks on immigrants, demanding the border with Mexico be closed, and trumpeting the so-called Minutemen, a group so radical even President Bush has denounced them. Republican immigrant bashing isn't interesting unto itself - sadly, it's standard operating for conservatives. As one California state legislator noted, "Scapegoating and immigrant-bashing is the last refuge of a wounded politician" like Schwarzenegger, who is plummeting in the polls.

Still, though, immigration should be a place where Schwarzenegger is a bit more mainstream than his party. Not only is he an immigrant himself, but he actually has questionable history in terms of complying with America's immigration laws.

As the San Jose Mercury News reported on 9/21/03, immigration attorneys agreed that when Schwarzenegger first immigrated to the United States, he "most likely violated the terms of his work visa." In interviews over the years, Schwarzenegger has said he joined forces with an Italian bodybuilder to rebuild damaged homes after the deadly Sylmar earthquake jolted Southern California. But immigration attorneys across the country said Schwarzenegger would have been barred by visa restrictions from starting his own business. That revelation followed an earlier discovery that Schwarzenegger might have violated his visa in 1968 as well.

When asked about this hypocrisy, Schwarzenegger aides "declined to make the candidate available for an interview" and then refused to release Schwarzenegger's immigration records. Maybe he should take a cue from his campaign, start once again keeping his mouth shut, and stop trying to appeal to his radical right-wing base by attacking immigrants.