“CA spends $859 million per year on imprisoned illegal immigrants.”
You do realize that since this IS California, the alternative would be to provide healthcare, clothing, food, housing and an education outside of prison?
“the alternative would be ... “
That’s a `false dilemma’. There are other ways to deal with the salient reason (along with unionized public employees) for California’s fiscal problems than feeding, housing and medicating them, in or out of prison.
At one time, California’s public schools led the nation. Now they are near the bottom of the list. CA has made its own bed.