Saint Paul, MN – With Governor Tim Walz and legislators huddled behind closed doors making deals for a looming legislative special session, around 50 people from the immigrant rights movement protested May 27 at Walz’s office in the State Capitol. The protest was in response to Governor Walz and legislative leaders announcing that they intend to pass a budget that takes away access to health care from adult immigrants in the state.

In the hallway outside Governor Walz’s office, four speakers talked powerfully about the human and social costs of denying health care access to immigrants. Then the group marched around the capitol rotunda with chants like, “Fight, fight, fight! Healthcare is a human right!” echoing throughout the capitol. The group then went into Walz’s office to ask for a meeting. When the receptionist said no, they stayed in the office, leading more chants.

Robyn Harbison of the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee (MIRAC) said, “We call on the legislature to reject any budget agreement that would take away health care from immigrants. And if they pass it, we call on Governor Walz to veto it. Immigrants should not be pawns in budget negotiations! To deny health care to any segment of the population is inhumane and wrong. Denying health care to some Minnesota residents will negatively impact all residents.”

Since his vice-presidential run, Governor Walz has positioned himself as a champion of health care on the national level, even arguing that Democrats need to stop tinkering on the edges of the Affordable Care Act and enact universal health care.

But in Minnesota, Walz, along with Democratic Party state legislative leaders are proposing to take health care access away from thousands of Minnesota residents. As the protesters left Governor Walz’s office, they declared they would be back.

Legislators continue to meet behind closed doors to try to hammer out a budget deal, but they keep missing their own self-imposed deadlines. As long as they continue to meet, protest organizers are asking Minnesotans to call their state legislators and Governor Walz to demand that they stop trying to take health care access away from immigrants.

The protest was organized by the Minnesota Immigrant Rights Action Committee, Asamblea de Derechos Civiles, Minnesota Immigrant Movement, 50501 Minnesota, and the Minnesota Abortion Action Committee.

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