Schwarzenegger: California Should Build Prisons In Mexico

The Governator thinks it might be good idea for California to build prisons in Mexico and ship the state's undocumented immigrant criminals there.

"We can do so much better, in the prison system alone, if we can go and take inmates – for instance, the 20,000 inmates that are illegal immigrants that are here – and get them to Mexico," Schwarzenegger said. "We pay them to build a prison down in Mexico and then we have those undocumented immigrants be down there in the prison," he added. "Half the cost to build the prisons and half the cost to run the prisons. That is money, again, a billion dollars right there that can go into higher education. That is an example of one of the things we do that is unnecessary spending." Schwarzenegger's idea had not been vetted. The Governor's Office was unable to answer, for instance, whether he would like to send all illegal immigrant prisoners to Mexico or just those who have Mexican citizenship.

Schwarzenegger wants the federal government to pay California $880M for housing undocumented immigrant prisoners.