Arnold Schwarzenegger Raises Eyebrows With 4-Word Message to Immigrants

Arnold Schwarzenegger found himself at the center of heated debate after telling The View audience that immigrants should “behave like a guest” during a segment that quickly went viral. 

Promoting Season 2 of his Netflix series FUBAR, the former California governor used his platform to share personal insights on immigration, but not all of them landed well with the panel or viewers.

Schwarzenegger, an immigrant from Austria, said his own journey was "beautiful," but emphasized the importance of legal immigration and a sense of personal responsibility for those coming to the U.S.

"When you come to America, you’re a guest," he said. "And you have to behave like a guest."

That four-word message—behave like a guest—prompted quick pushback from The View co-hosts. 

Whoopi Goldberg reminded him that "90 percent of the people who come here are trying to do the right thing." Meanwhile, Sunny Hostin pointed out that immigrants are statistically less likely to commit crimes than American-born citizens.

Schwarzenegger doubled down, comparing immigrants to houseguests who should"“keep things clean" and "make their bed," adding that newcomers should find ways to give back to their communities through volunteer work, even without pay.

Despite the controversy, Schwarzenegger also called for bipartisan immigration reform, saying both Democrats and Republicans are "party hacks" for failing to act. 

"If they really want to be public servants, they need to solve this issue," he said.

The conversation touched on deeper frustrations with immigration policy, ICE operations, and media portrayals of protests and unrest in cities like Los Angeles—issues Schwarzenegger says both sides are exploiting rather than fixing.

While the conversation got heated, Schwarzenegger’s appearance spotlighted an issue with no easy answers—just passionate opinions from both sides of the table. For better or worse, his comment showed that even years out of office, Arnold Schwarzenegger still knows how to command attention.