There have been many protests against the recent government shutdown that have been seen around the country, including here in Erie, Pennsylvania. On Tuesday, January 19th, a small group the citizens gathered in Perry Square, right across from the Erie County Courthouse.

The group feels that it is not right that roughly 800,000 federal workers are not receiving a paycheck during the shutdown. Some workers still worked on the job even though they are not getting paid. It’s the 28th day of the shutdown, making it the longest government shutdown in United States history.

While some government workers are going without pay, some employees are off the job without getting a paycheck. President Trump recently signed a bill that guarantees back pay for the hundreds of thousands of government employees who haven’t been paid during the government shutdown. Not only does the bill guarantee back pay, but it also specifies that they will get paid as quickly as possible after the president signs appropriate bills to end the shutdown.

On the other hand, President Trump campaigned on building a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border to increase security. But Congress is not willing to give him all $5.7 billion for the project. Many people gave their vote to Donald Trump and supported that issue, and he feels strongly about delivering on behalf of his campaign promise.

Cathedral Prep senior Tyler Iacobucci spoke about the subject. “Even though I’m not able to vote yet, I do think that what Trump is doing could be beneficial to not only our borders, but our safety,” he said. “Keeping illegal immigrants out doesn’t give a chance to have an influx of discrepancies and crime. [I’m] not saying that’s what they all bring, but [it] does increase the numbers. As long as they become U.S. citizens legally, they shouldn’t have to worry about anything.”