My Friends on this forum, the DREAM Act based on its failing for nearly the past 10-years I doubt will be approved in its current form. Some of you might not like this reality. I've submitted the following letter to Senator Durbin along with other influential Congressman involved in the DREAM Act on both sides of the aisle.

United States Senator Richard Durbin
525 South 8th Street
Springfield, IL 62703

Dear Senator Durbin:

RE: DREAM ACT 2009 / AMENDMENT SUGGESTION

I applaud you Senator Durbin for taking the initiative to move this important piece of legislation. However, I am concerned, like years past, the legislation will not pass due to its flaws – it is important that both sides of the aisle construct a bill that is both fair and manageable.

I question the age limit of 30 – how is this explained? Considering the DREAM Act has been brought to the floor of congress so many times over a span of 5-years +…the original DREAM Act was introduced years ago – why set an arbitrary age limit in the first place? Setting an age limit of 30 might be considered "age-discrimination." If anything, the age limit of 30 should be increased for each year Congress failed to pass the DREAM Act.

**AMENDMENT TO REFINE RECIPIENTS OF DREAM ACT BENEFITS**

PREFERRED DREAM ACT RECIPIENTS CRITERIA:

1. Children who were brought here to the United States legally and due to outdated policies and procedures may have “aged-out” when their parents had applied for their permanent resident status. The applications to apply for permanent resident status was made while the children were under 21-years old however due to massive backlogs in processing times, these same children are now considered “undocumented.” No ARBITRARY AGE-LIMIT.

2. Parents of these now considered undocumented and illegal children/young people are permanent residents with valid green cards and are law-abiding, tax paying members of society.

3. Parents have applied to sponsor their children who have “aged-out” through no-fault of their own are waiting for their children to be able to adjust their status. Give children/young people who are considered “aged-out” some immediate relief. The Child Status Protection Act did not solve these problems, which is an epidemic in regard to family unity and our American Values.

4. Children/Young People who are now considered undocumented due to “aged-out” applications hold a VALID Social Security Number provided to them when they first legally entered the country. No identify theft has occurred.

5. These same children/young people have responsibly paid their federal income taxes each and every year again using their VALID SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER issued when they first legally arrived in the United States.

6. These same children/young people have graduated from a U.S. High School or Obtained a GED.

7. Have good moral character with no criminal record whatsoever.

8. Will agree to continue pursuing their college/advanced education or enlist in the military. If the young person already possesses a college/university degree, he-she shall be required to obtained Advanced Education (Masters, PhD) or enlist in the Military.

9. To show the United States the Children/Young Adults participating in the ‘Preferential Dream Act’ Recipient program are committed to being good citizens of society – 40 hours of community service required with federally approved volunteer programs.

10. The young-people participating in this program shall receive a two-year conditional green-card leading eventually to permanent residence status.

11. Finally, the recipients benefiting from this preferred Dream-Act alien classification do not carry or harbor certain diseases such as HIV, AIDS, etc.

I feel the immigration debate is best handled by working on “preferential” aliens regardless of how small the number may be affected and then working our way outward towards those aliens which are ‘less-preferential.’ Only in this way can any consensus be built. With such criteria above, how can any Representative or Senator possibly say ‘NO’ when you apply points one through eleven above? Lets find some common ground FIRST!