The governor made his comments during a public forum at The Times building in downtown Los Angeles, where he expressed frustration with anti-tax organizations and others seeking to derail a package of ballot measures that will come before voters in a May 19 special election. Schwarzenegger and lawmakers placed the measures on the ballot as part of the budget agreement they reached in February.

“Anyone who says you have a budget crisis because of undocumented immigrants, I would say this is a prejudiced comment rather than reality,” the governor said, challenging a claim regularly made by opponents of his fiscal plans.