Religious leaders attack governor's immigration stance

"We ... look forward to that meeting with the governor to remind him of his own roots as an immigrant," said Bishop Richard Garcia of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sacramento.

About a dozen religious leaders from Presbyterian, Episcopal, Mennonite and African Methodist Episcopal churches said many communities in the state rely on work performed by immigrants, but the governor has created "a climate of fear" that makes workers less productive.

They said undocumented immigrants are being used as scapegoats for society's problems.

Schwarzenegger repealed legislation enacted in 2003 that gave undocumented immigrants drivers' licenses and last year he vetoed similar legislation.

During a speech in San Francisco last month, the governor said "closing the borders" would solve illegal immigration. He apologized the next day, explaining that he had meant to say "secure the borders."

Most recently, Schwarzenegger expressed support for the Minuteman Project, which consisted of volunteer activists that patrolled the borders in Arizona for illegal immigrants. President Bush called them "vigilantes."

Schwarzenegger spokeswoman Julie Soderlund said she could not speculate on whether the governor would meet with the religious leaders.

"But the governor is focused on securing our borders and he believes it's the role of the federal government to secure them," she said. "As an immigrant himself, he fully appreciates the contributions immigrants make to both California's economy and culture."