Activists hold events across Southland to raise awareness for DACA recipients

MACARTHUR PARK, LOS ANGELES (KABC) -- Activists are defending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals act in a series of weeklong events across the Southland.

At least 70 people also boarded a bus Tuesday night and headed to Sacramento to plead for help to protect DACA.

A coalition of civil rights groups have been rallying to support the program, which allows undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to work and study in the country without fear of deportation.

President Donald Trump is considering ending the Obama-era program.

The events are all part of "Rise Up 4 DACA." On Tuesday, supporters dropped banners off an overpass on the 101 Freeway and Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti helped the effort with a phone marathon.

"Los Angeles will lead on this because we have the largest group of DACA recipients here in Southern California, in the entire nation. We know what they do. I wouldn't be here today if a Dreamer had become a citizen," he said.

Other leaders also spoke out in support of the program, such as Congresswoman Karen Bass.

"We need to talk about DACA from the point of it being a human rights issue," she said. "How could you think about deporting young people who were raised here?...how can you then tell them when they're 18 or 19 that they have to go home to a country that they never even knew?"

According to a report from the Center for American Progress and FWD.us, ending DACA would have a massive economic impact.

It said that 91 percent of DACA recipients are employed and removing them from the work force would put 700,000 people out of jobs. For all those who would lose their jobs, it would cost $3.4 billion to replace them.

On Wednesday, there will be another phone marathon and a vigil on Olvera Street.