SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) — While Labor Day typically means a break from work for many, over 100 individuals gathered at the Illinois State Capitol on Monday, acknowledging that much work still lies ahead.

“Everything that all of us did could be gone. Just so someone can give tax cuts to a billionaire?” Dale Hawkins, a retired Union Boilermaker, said.

But budget cuts are making that work harder than ever to accomplish.

“It’s hard to imagine that our clients are losing their benefits. Many are unaware of the extent of their losses,” expressed Loretta Thompson, a home care worker.

Thompson and her colleague Tericus Mackay, both home care providers, have directly observed the increased pressure on services following the “Big Beautiful Bill.”

They believe if the cuts move forward as planned, then services in Illinois’ smallest communities will be the first to go.

“The impact is disastrous, especially on rural areas and communities. It’s going to cause major challenges, particularly for seniors,” Mackay noted.

But it wasn’t just funding on protester’s minds.

“Why they would select just a few cities they are going to target, it just doesn’t make any sense,” Jim Hade, a volunteer with Mother Jones, said.

On Sunday, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced plans for an anticipated ICE operation in Chicago, scheduled to commence this week, despite state and local officials’ protests.

“It is not freedom. It’s not liberty, it’s tyranny,” Hade said.