I believe this is one pathway to citizenship I support.
http://www.blackfive.net/main/2009/02/us-military---s.html
+1.
I would liberalize our immigration policy in general for that matter. We are currently actively exporting our technology and expertise abroad. For example: a guy goes to MIT and graduates in the top of his class. He gets a job in process management at Intel under his HB-1. After several renewals he essentially has to chose a path to citizenship (not guaranteed) or return to his home country. Many are choosing to return to their home country and take their (OUR) expertise with them.
On the unskilled side of things we have a huge undocumented immigrant population. No matter what the talking heads say, it's clear we really want them. If most people did not want them in their community they would not be employed, would not have places to rent, would not have services in Spanish. But few people really care enough about the issue to DO something about it other than lip service.
I'm not advocating the open immigration policies of past centuries - which saw abuses of American and foreign populations (who became American and abused the next waive). But certainly there has to be a better way. If you want to come to the United States and work an honest day for an honest wage and contribute, not take, from the economy - then fill out the paper work and come on in. Streamline the system to make legal workers welcome, when legal workers outnumber illegal workers the pressure from those that have documents will drive the illegal workers out (as well as with the availability of legal workers the incentive to hire illegal workers is reduced).
On the skilled side - rejecting skilled employees or making it difficult for them to remain in the USA is an insane strategy. Give us your brightest, your hardest working, and your most educated - we will refine them, teach them the best technologies in the world, and show them how to be successful... then return them to your country to kick our butts.
ANYWAY, +1 on military service as a streamline to US citizenship.
This is something I've favored for over 10 years and never saw why the US didn't do so earlier. If you ask a soldier who isn't a citizen to make a sacrifice on behalf of the country he or she wishes to be a citizen of, who wouldn't jump at that opportunity if it gets them their goal using less money and time than it would otherwise?
Good policy.
Rumor is Obama and the Democratic Congress are going to pass a comprehensive immigration reform.
Also, if I remember correctly most of the "anti-immigration" candidates were soundly defeated this past election cycle.
Time for a new drum to beat....