Another Immigrant Abuses Our Laws?

Matt Welch | September 15, 2003

One of the most resonant arguments against illegal immigration is that it's, well, illegal. Broken windows and all that. As immigrant Arnold Schwarzenegger has said, "People like myself waited for 15 years after I came to this country -- legally -- to get citizenship." I guess it depends on the meaning of the word "legally." From a San Jose Mercury News article:

As a 21-year-old bodybuilder, Schwarzenegger came to the United States in 1968 on a B-1 visa, which allows visiting athletes to compete and train, but bars them from drawing a salary from an American company.

But in his 1977 autobiography, Schwarzenegger said he reached a deal with a legendary figure in the bodybuilding industry "to pay me a weekly salary in exchange for my information and being able to use photographs of me in his magazine."

That arrangement, said a half-dozen immigration attorneys across the nation, appears to have violated the terms of his visa.

Link via Daniel Weintraub.

Comments

Xrlq|9.15.03 @ 1:35AM|#

Wow, to think Californians might elect such a lawless person as Arnold. Now he's been caught red handed earning money. And let's not forget, we also have ample video footage of him smoking pot and, worst of all, riding a motorcycle without a helmet.

thoreau|9.15.03 @ 2:15AM|#

Xrlq-

I have absolutely no problem with the fact that Arnold earned money through a voluntary arrangement where he performed services in exchange for money 30 years ago.

I just think that a person I used to know who worked as a waitress at a Chinese restaurant without a work visa, should also be able to perform services in exchange for money.

And I think that Mexicans should be able to perform services in exchange for money.

Too bad Arnold thinks that he's the only immigrant who shouldn't need the government's permission before he starts working.

fyodor|9.15.03 @ 3:09AM|#

Where there's a will there's a way!

Warren|9.15.03 @ 5:36AM|#

Perhaps he can be elected and then deported. That would be cool.

Mike Jones|9.15.03 @ 8:15AM|#

More like, "Where there's a (dollar) bill, there's a way."

Mo|9.15.03 @ 8:27AM|#

Arnold thinks he's the only on who can do something and get away with it. He took offense at Davis' snide comment on his accent, even though he made a snide comment on Bustamente's appearance. He gives Davis and Cruz crap about special interest money, but collects his own.

Ugh, maybe the extra 5 months will make it so McClintock will be able to win.

|9.15.03 @ 12:31PM|#

So, will violating his visa make him more or less attractive to the Hispanic electorate?

thoreau|9.15.03 @ 12:43PM|#

Violating his visa and then denying it while pontificating against visa violators will definitely him less attractive to a community that carries an automatic presumption of "illegal immigrant."

How do I know that the hispanic community carries that automatic (and unwarranted for the vast majority) label? R.C. Dean's post shows why. Nobody is asking "Will violating his visa make him more or less attractive to the Asian-American electorate?" even though plenty of Asians come here illegally and work under extremely tough conditions.

Citizen|9.15.03 @ 12:52PM|#

Yes, but I've never seen a governor spend his last month in office go into spasms trying to please the Asian community. Nor have I ever seen a gubernatorial candidate base his entire platform on appeasing the Asian community. Nor have I seen parades and protests by Asians in opposing illegal immigrant restrictions. Maybe it's a stereotype, or maybe it's a pretty good guess.