Immigration law determines whether a person is an alien, the rights, duties, and obligations associated with being an alien in the United States, and how aliens gain residence or citizenship within the United States. It also provides the means by which certain aliens can become legally naturalized citizens with full rights of citizenship. Immigration law serves as a gatekeeper for the border of the nation, determining who may enter, how long they may stay, and when they must leave. Immigration lawyers represent persons seeking temporary and permanent residency (green cards) status in the U.S., those interested in obtaining U.S. citizenship through a process called naturalization, and clients facing deportation and removal. Immigration attorneys may also represent businesses seeking to secure temporary visa status for foreign employees.
Edwardsville is a city in Madison County, Illinois, United States. As of the 2005 census, the city population was 24,047. It is the county seat of Madison County and is the third oldest city in the State of Illinois. The city was named in honor of Ninian Edwards, Governor of Illinois. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, the Edwardsville Journal, the Madison County Record and the Edwardsville Intelligencer are located here. It is also home to some of the areas biggest construction companies including:Dean and Sons Construction, Thiems Construction. Edwardsville is a part of Southern Illinois, the Metro-East region, and the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area. It neighbors with Glen Carbon, Illinois. It is part of the Edwardsville School District No. 7, which also includes the villages of Glen Carbon, Hamel and Moro, as well as the townships areas around them.