California law that cuts misdemeanor time could reduce deportations

Activists from the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles staged a "call-a-thon" on Broadway in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday, dialing up a member of Congress and having passers-by leave messages demanding immigration reform. It's part of a move by some advocacy groups toward more aggressive tactics in hopes of pressuring lawmakers to vote on an immigration overhaul.

A new California law reduces how much a person can be sentenced for a misdemeanor by just one day, but it could have vast implications for thousands of legal immigrants facing deportation.

The law, known as SB1310, cuts the maximum penalty for a misdemeanor to 364 days. Under federal law, a legal resident becomes deportable if they are given a sentence of one year or more.

That has led tens of thousands of deportations in recent years. More than 100,000 children who have legal status have had a parent deported for a misdemeanor crime between 1997 and 2007, according to estimates.

For more we're joined by Joseph Villela. He's the policy director for the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights in Los Angeles, a group that supported the law.