Arizona Immigration Law: Celebrities Who Have Spoken Out Against It

Photo: REUTERS

Salma Hayek

Mexican-born actress Salma Hayek immigrated to the United States in 1991 to pursue her career in Hollywood. She has been named one of the most powerful Latinos in entertainment for both her acting ventures, such as her Oscar-nominated performance in “Frida,” as well as her impressive producing credits, including ABC’s “Ugly Betty.” Hayek also engages in activism specifically focusing on immigration reform. She has consistently spoken out against laws preventing foreigners from entering the U.S. “What surprises me is the lack of humanity with which they are treating the immigrants,” she said of Arizona’s immigration law, SB 1070. “What I can’t understand is how the United States, which is considered a hero around the world that helps other countries, doesn’t help the foreigners who enter their country. It’s a contradiction.” Hayek herself became a U.S citizen in 2007.

Photo: REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni

Arnold Schwarzenegger

Before he was an action hero or politician, Arnold Schwarzenegger was just an unknown aspiring bodybuilder from Austria. He emigrated to the U.S. in 1968 after winning multiple awards for his physique. Years later in 1986, after a steady rise to fame, he became a U.S. citizen and eventually governor of California in 2003. During an appearance on "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" in 2010, Schwarzenegger expressed his disdain for Arizona's crackdown on immigration. “That is a mess. I would never do that in California. No way,” said Schwarzenegger. “It's irresponsible.” A month later, while giving a speech at Emory University in Georgia, the governor mocked Arizona's impending law yet again. "I was also going to give a graduation speech in Arizona this weekend. But with my accent, I was afraid they would try to deport me," joked Schwarzenegger.

Photo: Reuters

Rosario Dawson

Rosario Dawson recently brought together the likes of Eva Longoria and Jessica Alba to aid her latest Voto Latino campaign, United We Win, which was created in protest of SB 1070. Dawson hoped that an outpouring of opposition would prevent the legislation from passing, but it failed. “We recognize that this isn’t just a Mexican issue or a Latino issue," the actress told US Weekly. "There are people blogging and tweeting for everything, from the BP spill to education and health care.”

Photo: Reuters

Eva Longoria

Mexican-American actress Eva Longoria recently joined Rosario Dawson for the United We Win campaign. The "Desperate Housewives" star has been upfront about her disdain for Arizona's immigration reform practices. “I haven’t made it a secret that I’m strongly opposed to the Arizona law and I’ve been pretty vocal about it,” Longoria told US Weekly in 2010. "It’s unfortunate that this immigration issue has been on the national agenda for the past three administrations."

Photo: Reuters

Lady Gaga

During a 2010 Phoenix concert, Lady Gaga asked her fans to fight against the progression of Arizona's illegal immigrant laws. "We have to be active. We have to protest. . . . I will yell and I will scream louder," said the singer. "I will hold you and we will hold each other and we will peaceably protest this state." Gaga also tackled the issue in her song "Americano."

Photo: Reuters

George Lopez

For comedian George Lopez, the new law is no laughing matter. Though Lopez was born in the U.S, his Mexican-American heritage makes the racially-charged topic a sensitive one for him. "I just think there just needs to be some reform. I don't think that racial profiling is an answer. I think it's unconstitutional, obviously, and it just divides," said Lopez in an interview with Access Hollywood. "We've always been a little bit divided but more so now and especially in Arizona, which is still a great state."