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Immigration, health care and President Trump's "big, beautiful bill" were on the minds of Florida's Harare Workers' Union on Saturday, where they rallied at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital to speak out against the policies and cuts in the bill that they feel are unjust.
Immigration and health care
Eighteen-year-old Elli said her father was deported years ago, and now she is worried that her mom will be next.
"If my mom ever gets deported, my family will be devastated because I'm the eldest of the daughters taking care of my five siblings," Elli said.
That's why she went to a rally at Jackson Memorial, where immigration was a key topic. Roxey Nelson of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) said that immigrants are losing temporary protected status, or TPS, and that is trimming down staff in the health care sector.
"I got a call that a nursing home that's like 100 beds, 80 or so workers," Nelson told CBS News Miami. "Thirty of them were laid off because of TPS."
One of the main topics was the president's spending bill, which he called the "big, beautiful bill."
Medicaid cuts could impact hospital budgets, protesters say
Health care workers are also worried about the bill's cuts to Medicaid. According to the Florida Health Justice Project, Florida could lose about $4 billion annually in Medicaid funds. Union leaders are worried that it may impact services.
Union leaders told CBS News Miami that Medicaid accounts for a noticeable chunk of Jackson Memorial's budget.
"$325 million a year in Medicaid at Jackson," said Martha Baker of SEIU 1991. "They have about a $2 billion budget."
"How are we gonna be coming to work every day thinking that we may be laid off?" asked Martha Wydra, an RN at University of Miami Hospital.
CBS News Miami reached out to Jackson Memorial Hospital several times about this protest, but did not get a response.
Meanwhile, the Florida Decides Healthcare organization is attempting to put Medicaid expansion on the next election ballot.
"We have been collecting this whole year, and we are looking to complete the collection of petitions by December," said Mitch Emerson, the executive director of Florida Decides Healthcare.
Florida Decides Healthcare cited a public opinion poll showing that 67 percent of likely voters support putting a Medicaid expansion on the ballot.
Steve Maugeri joined the CBS News Miami team in April 2024. Steve has always loved the beach and is excited to live this close to the ocean within a major city as well!
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