SPRINGFIELD — Following the Illinois Senate passing the Fiscal Year 2026 budget, State Senator Graciela Guzmán released the following statement:

“I got into public service after watching my grandfather lose his life due to lack of health care coverage as an immigrant in this country. I knew the tragedy my family experienced was preventable, as so many others are who face similar barriers to the basic right of health care coverage. I became an advocate to extend health care access to all people regardless of their immigration status, and began a lifelong career of fighting for Black and Brown communities, who for generations have not only been overlooked and disinvested in, but have borne the brunt of tax increases for the working class and tax decreases for the most wealthy. 

“Since taking office, I have worked non-stop to protect my community and the budget cuts that would affect them. I have sat in countless talks with my colleagues and stakeholders about the necessity of preserving HBIA, finding solutions to our budget problems through progressive revenue, and more. This budget does include some progressive revenue options, but it is not nearly enough to ensure our community has what they need in these uncertain times. 

“It is ridiculous to think that a high-rise corporation, thousands of feet above the everyday Illinoisan, is seen as more worthy of our protection than the single mothers, the immigrant families, and the person with disabilities trying to make ends meet. However, representatives from these corporations have claimed that small tax increases on them will leave them ruined. I am frustrated that these concerns were taken seriously and accounted for in the final budget agreement, while the asks of everyday Illinoisans, including taxing the most wealthy, were not. Without more progressive revenue solutions, we are enacting regressive measures that will harm the low and middle income earners —and I am frustrated that corporations were prioritized over people in the final agreement. 

“In addition to these amoral revenue solutions, this budget also eradicates HBIA—the program I fought to create as an organizer years ago. Immigrants are the cornerstone of our state, past, present and future. They are also human beings, who pay taxes, and deserve access to health care like any other person. Without access to the proper care, people will die, just like my grandfather and thousands of other hardworking immigrants who could have been saved with access to affordable treatment options. I am heartbroken that HBIA—and immigrant adults—were considered disposable by this budget. I stand resolved to fight with my community until every Illinoisan has healthcare as a human right.

“I want to take a moment to thank the organizers, advocates, and organizations that helped us hold the line and secure essential services in Illinois, from critical healthcare funding to parent mentor funding to legal protections. I am grateful that we could pass HB3247, the Safe Schools Act, which prohibits children from being denied a free public education based on perceived or actual citizenship or immigration status. When we organize, we win, and we will continue organizing to keep Illinoisans safe. 

“I believe a budget is a moral document. By abandoning our most vulnerable communities in their time of need, when the federal administration is actively taking away access to health care for folks with lower income, attacking and tearing our immigrant communities apart, and silencing those with conscience standing up against their unlawful actions, we are not living up to the morals I value with this budget. Know that with tears in my eyes, fire in my heart, and resolve in my body, that I will continue to work with my colleagues and advocates for better solutions moving forward, and express my heartbreak to those who will be personally affected by these cuts. My office is here for you, and I  promise to continue to do all that I can to protect you and restore the programs that you deserve.”