'Day Without Immigrants' protest of Trump policies planned for Thursday

LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Amid the Trump administration's more aggressive stance on immigration issues, a grassroots effort is encouraging immigrants nationwide to stay home Thursday.

Immigrants participating in the "A Day Without Immigrants" campaign are expected to stay home from work or school and refrain from shopping or other commercial activities. The idea behind the protest is to show to what extent immigrant communities contribute to the nation's economy and culture.

Restaurants and other businesses across Los Angeles are bracing for the possibility that their employees won't show up to work.

Among them is Dr. Steven Jacobs. The nurses and staff in his Beverly Hills office are staying home Thursday.

"What's going on right now with the White House really bothers me and I feel like if I can just do this for one day, maybe something will happen," said office employee Andrea Garcia.

Jacobs says he supports the statement his staff is making. He will keep the office open and see patients without the help of his staff.

"I support it because I think it's necessary that we do things to resist the kinds of changes brought upon us by the Trump administration," Jacobs said. "And so I think this is a really important action people can take to show they don't agree with what's happening."

Similar efforts are planned across the country. Restaurant owners in Washington and Philadelphia, among others, plan to close their businesses.

The Davis Museum at Wellesley College in Massachusetts said it would remove or shroud all artwork created or given by immigrants to the museum through Feb. 21.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.