California gets help paying for jailed illegal immigrants in Obama's budget

California stands to receive more than $1 billion from President Obama's budget plan to help cover healthcare for the poor and the cost of jailing illegal immigrants.

The budget proposal includes $25 billion in additional Medicaid funds for states, of which California is projected to receive $1.5 billion. States received a funding boost in the economic stimulus bill that Congress passed one year ago. Obama's budget plan would extend the funding through mid-2011.

The proposal also includes $330 million to help states pay for jailing illegal immigrants. The money has long been a priority for California officials, who argue that local and state taxpayers should not have to bear the burden of Washington's failure to control U.S. borders. California's expected $90-million share would represent a fraction of the nearly $1 billion the state probably will spend this year on incarcerating illegal immigrants.

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