Healthcare workers protest Medicaid cuts and immigration policies outside Rockford Tesla showroom

ROCKFORD, Ill. (WTVO) — Healthcare workers represented by SEIU Healthcare Illinois gathered outside the Tesla showroom on McFarland Road today to protest federal policies they say negatively impact healthcare across the state.

The protest, held on Labor Day, was aimed at voicing opposition to policies from the Trump administration, including immigration enforcement and cuts to Medicaid.

Similar “Workers Over Billionaires” protests, organized by the AFL-CIO federation of labor unions, took place in other Illinois cities, such as Springfield and Chicago.

“Legislators, when you put zero dollars in an appropriation bill for SNAP or when you put zero dollars in for Medicaid you are cutting the program, I can’t make it any more clear to you, zero means nothing and that’s not what they deserve,” said home care provider Steve Voltz.

Last month, Republican State Senator Dave Syverson defended the Medicaid cuts, stating that Medicaid was never intended to provide free healthcare to undocumented immigrants, especially not care that is better than what working families who are legally here receive.

Syverson also emphasized that healthy, able-bodied adults who do not contribute to their community will no longer be covered until they start giving back.

The protests highlight ongoing tensions over healthcare policy and funding, with workers advocating for more support and legislators defending budgetary constraints.

In response to the nationwide Labor Day protests, the White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “President Trump believes that American workers are the heart and soul of our economy and our national identity, which is why he’s championed an agenda that puts them first always.”

All facts in this report were gathered by journalists employed by WTVO. Artificial intelligence tools were used to reformat from a broadcast script into a news article for our website. This report was edited and fact-checked by WTVO staff before being published.