For Some 'Dreamers' DACA Compromise Is More Take Than Give

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) — President Trump says he's ready to make a deal on DACA but there are a lot of strings attached.

There was a lot of reaction Thursday to the plan at UCLA where the major candidates for governor met to discuss issues important to Latino voters. The debate was put on by the Latino Community Forum.

The plan is a reversal for President Trump who once threatened to eliminate DACA protection.

Lilian Moran is in her fourth year at UCLA. She says she's part the DACA program and argues President Trump's proposal of a path to citizenship for nearly two million undocumented immigrants is not good enough.

"We want a comprehensive immigration reform that actually takes into account everyone, not just the so called dreamers," Moran said.

Ivan Pineda is a student at Santa Monica Community College but argues the president's promise of citizenship — only if there's more border security by ensuring money for the wall and more deportations —  is more take than give.

"Nothing but reinforcing and militarizing the border, it wasn't really supporting the process, it's not speeding up the process, and criminalizing folks is not going to help the process either," Pineda said.

Gubernatorial candidate and former L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa made an appearance at the protest and was greeted with the challenge to make change.

As the California gubernatorial candidates debated — immigration was a major topic.

"We all get we're going to have to compromise but increasing deportations in our cities, building a wall at $30 billion isn't a compromise," Villaraigosa said.

Republican candidate John Cox says it's more than President Obama proposed.

"I think the president is actually suggesting some things that could help the system, he's actually proposing to have a pathway to citizenship for DACA which Obama never even did."

Some students say they hope they actually see action.

"If you're going to say that out loud, if you're going to say it in the forum the I'm going to have to see you supporting that in every different situation that you found yourself in," UCLA  student Leila Shaygan said.

Pineda says he's on the path to citizenship, but worries about his undocumented family here.

"I'm in the process, but what about my mom, what about my aunts?"