ROCKFORD (WIFR) -- As presidential candidate debate controversy continues to surround Rockford's mail processing center, which is slated to close in the spring, protestors demonstrated outside the Harrison Avenue location this afternoon.

The cash-strapped agency is set to lose a record $14.1 billion next year and had plans to close nine Illinois processing centers, including one in Rockford, which employs nearly 200 workers. The U.S. Postal Service recently agreed to delay its planned closures until May.

Christy Gutowski, Occupy Rockford, says," With the signs, it starts the conversation. It gets people aware of the issue that is out here. A lot of people are looking at each other and the signs as they go by and, hopefully, they will take the time to write a letter to their congressman and support this issue."

The closure delay is expected to give congress enough time to make major changes to the way the facility operates. If the center closes, thousands of employees would lose their jobs.