Schwarzenegger: Border fence with Mexico is return to the Stone Age

Apr 24, 2006, 18:50 GMT

Sacramento - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has come out strongly against tough immigration proposals Monday, including the construction of a fence along the border with Mexico - an idea he called 'going back to the Stone Ages'.

'I think that it will be ludicrous to limit yourself to just building a wall,' Schwarzenegger said in an interview with US television network ABC. 'We're going back to the Stone Ages here.'

'We are landing men on the moon and in outer space using all these great things. I think that other technology really can secure the borders,' the Republican governor said. The building of a wall was part of an immigration proposal passed in the US House of Representatives in December.

'If I say now, 'Yes, let's build the wall,' what would prevent you from building a tunnel? How many tunnels have been built in these last 10 years?' he added. 'I mean, we've detected tunnels left and right that people can drive trucks through.'

Schwarzenegger also repeated his opposition to an amnesty for the nation's estimated 11-12 million illegal immigrants, but also lambasted calls for their immediate deportation.

'It would cost 500 billion dollars. Who's going to pay for that?' he said.

California is estimated to have the highest number of illegal immigrants in the US. That fact, as well as Schwarzenegger's own background as a successful immigrant from Austria, has added to his influence on the issue.