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.
Ankeny is a city in Polk County, Iowa. The population was 27,118 at the 2000 census. A special census taken by the city in 2005 counted 36,161 residents, while the United States Census Bureau estimated that 42,287 residents lived there in 2008. It is part of the Des Moines–West Des Moines Metropolitan Statistical Area.