Story highlights "I actually don't think he should do that," Ryan said

A number of moderate Republicans alongside Democrats support the program

(CNN) House Speaker Paul Ryan on Friday gave a major boost to legislative efforts to preserve protections for young undocumented immigrants -- and urged President Donald Trump to not tear up the program.

Responding to a question about Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, on his hometown radio station WCLO in Janesville, Wisconsin, Ryan said Congress was working on a legislative fix to preserve the problem.

"I actually don't think he should do that," Ryan said of Trump's consideration of terminating the program. "I believe that this is something that Congress has to fix."

Ryan's statement offers the most public support by anyone in the Republican congressional leadership for some sort of legislation to protect the "Dreamers" under DACA.

The popular Obama administration program -- which gives protections from deportation to undocumented immigrants that were brought to the US as children to work or study -- has long been targeted by Republicans as an overreach of executive authority.

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