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.
Ferndale is a city in Oakland County of the U.S. state of Michigan. It forms part of the Detroit metropolitan area. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 22,105. Ferndale is primarily residential, with a small industrial sector featured in the southeast part of the city. Ferndale's thriving business district is anchored by the intersection of Woodward Avenue and 9 Mile Road, where privately owned shops, unique storefronts, dance clubs, bars and numerous well visited restaurants are featured. The downtown has broad sidewalks, slow traffic, and many trees and benches. Ferndale is well-known in the Detroit area for its LGBT (non-heterosexual) population and progressive politics, having elected the first openly gay mayor in the state of Michigan in 2007.