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.
Goldonna is a village in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 457 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area. South of Goldonna along Louisiana Highway 156, one may access Saline Bayou, popular for blackwater canoeing. The village is the birthplace of the American romance author Patricia Maxwell, also known as Jennifer Blake, who resides in Quitman in Jackson Parish. The mayor of Goldonna is Verna Martin Bedgood, a Democrat. The police chief is Huey Kenneth Martin, an Independent. The three aldermen are Rodney Lynn Bedgood, a Democrat, and Ben and Daniel Dupree, both Republicans.