Hundreds of people gathered outside the state Capitol on Thursday to protest the actions of the Trump administration and push Connecticut state legislators to pass priorities on housing and health care.

The Hartford rally was one of thousands happening across the U.S. to commemorate May Day, or as it is known around the world, International Workers’ Day. It was fairly focused on Connecticut and the issues coming before the General Assembly, but that same frustration was channeled at President Donald J. Trump and his first 100 days.

The overriding sentiment from many of the participants was that Connecticut needs to fill in the gaps in federal funding and potential cuts to critical services and programs. Some raised concerns that state officials may be too fiscally cautious.

“We’ve already been fighting for fair budgets and demanding that the state amend their fiscal guardrails so that we can spend money. Now with what’s happening federally, we think that those cuts are even going to be deeper, and the hole that we’ve been in — it’s just going to get bigger,” said Norma Martinez HoSang, director of Connecticut For All, a coalition of more than 60 faith, labor and other civic organizations. “We continue to demand for fully funded public services that support all of our communities.”

Thursday’s rally in Hartford was organized by three main organizations — Make the Road Connecticut, 32BJ SEIU and CT For All — that consist of various memberships across unions, immigrant rights groups and other advocacy organizations. Thousands were expected at a similar rally scheduled later Thursday in New Haven.

The groups were advocating for “just cause” eviction protections, fair wages, medical debt relief and HUSKY for immigrants, which would expand eligibility of who qualifies for Connecticut’s Medicaid program.

But even with the state-specific focus, many of the people at the rally were holding signs critical of Trump and his policies as well as calls for unity and inclusiveness.

One of those signs was Renee Hamel’s, which read, “We are here to stay.”

“The sad thing is that I got this from the first Trump presidency,” said Hamel, who works for a union that represents hospital residents. “I didn’t think I would have to be using this again. But here we are, and things are even worse, with people being under threat of deportation, people that have committed no crimes.”

For others, immigration was also a key part of the rally as the Trump administration ramps up deportations, including some targeting people who are legally allowed to be in the country. Advocates reiterated their support for Connecticut’s Trust Act, which state Republicans are pushing to roll back.

The Trust Act places limits on when state and local law enforcement can detain people who are being sought by federal immigration officials, though it makes exceptions for sharing information about an undocumented immigrant who has been convicted of a certain felony or a potential terrorist.

But the overhaul of the federal government and the changes to reliable funding streams for states had many of the rallygoers on edge. They called on Gov. Ned Lamont and other state officials to fill in some of those gaps left open by cuts to federal funding.

“I feel like our lawmakers are doing enough speaking out to push back on the agenda of the Trump administration, but when it comes to the budget, I’m so disappointed,” Hamel said.

“They are so adherent to these fiscal guardrails when we have so many programs that are being cut, and we have so much money, and it’s like if you’re not going to use it now, when are you going to use it?” she said.

Attendees like Hamel and Martinez HoSang pointed to Connecticut’s second-largest surplus in state history. But it remains unclear whether state officials will tap into that or change the guardrails to offset cuts to federal assistance. Lamont recently indicated he’s “not there yet” and wants to wait and see what else unfolds in the nation’s capital.

“The economic policies coming out of Washington are directly impacting our state’s economic future, as evidenced by leading indicators such as consumer confidence,” Lamont said Wednesday. “Over the coming weeks, I will be working with legislative leaders to pass an honestly balanced budget that protects Connecticut’s core values, provides flexibility for inevitable federal cuts, and adheres to our statutory and constitutional budget obligations.”

Another option to mitigate federal funding cuts is taxing high earners in Connecticut, a proposal that some of the attendees also back. But Lamont has been wary of doing so and has blocked past efforts to raise taxes on the wealthy. He has said hiking taxes on those earners would get them to leave the state. He said he wants to take a wait-and-see approach as federal GOP lawmakers weigh a major tax package.

“Today, we are in such trouble,” state Sen. Julie Kushner, D-Danbury, said as she addressed the crowd. “We have so many fights before us, both here in Connecticut, a state that is so wealthy, yet we cannot afford to provide all the services and meet all the needs of the families here in Connecticut.”

May Day protests like the one on Thursday are common for groups like Make the Road CT. But they said they got even more support this time than compared to previous years.

“I think this is important because it’s not an event that only happens in Connecticut, but it’s an event that happens in other states,” Giselle Chavez, an organizer with the Make the Road CT, said. “And I think it’s important to be unified at the end of the day.”