President Trump's merit-based immigration plan generating some skepticism

President Donald Trump unveiled his new merit-based immigration plan on Thursday, and it's already generating some skepticism.

The president said it's "a plan to create a fair, modern and lawful system of immigration."

At CHIRLA, the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles, people who watched the president's speech said the plan punishes families.

"Legal migration is closed to those who are working people and people who sometimes struggle, but most importantly, he's closing the immigration system to families to be reunited," said CHIRLA executive director Angelica Salas.

The proposal would rate immigrants with a system that favors high-skilled workers. The president says he wants the same standards and rules to apply to everyone.

"No matter where in the world you were born, no matter who your relatives are, if you want to become an American citizen, it will be clear exactly what standard we ask you to achieve," Trump said.

He also wants immigrants to learn English and pass a civics test.

The plan doesn't address the issue of DACA. or Dreamers, people who were brought over as children. Diana Escamilla came when she was 2 1/2 years old.

"We currently have a lot of folks with English language proficiency and have a college degree. People like me, I speak English, I have a college degree, yet I still remain undocumented," said Escamilla. "They're ignoring people that have given so much to this community and identify as undocumented who have been here like I have since I was younger. I don't feel ignored, I feel pushed to the side."

The president is calling on Democrats to work with the administration to try to move the plan forward, but few believe that is going to happen.