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.
New Madrid is a city in New Madrid County, Missouri, 42 miles (68 km) south by west of Cairo, Illinois, on the Mississippi River. New Madrid was founded in 1788 by American frontiersmen. In 1900, 1,489 people lived in New Madrid, Missouri; in 1910, the population was 1,882. The population was 3,334 at the 2000 census. New Madrid is the county seat of New Madrid County. This county seat is home to the consolidated middle and high schools. "Madrid" in this name is usually pronounced with the stress on the first syllable (MAD-rid), unlike the Spanish capital Madrid (ma-DRID). The area is famous for being the site of a series of over 1,000 earthquakes in 1811 and 1812, ranging up to approximately magnitude 8, the most powerful non-subduction zone earthquake recorded in the United States. New Madrid, Missouri lies far away from any plate boundaries, although it lies on what is called the New Madrid Seismic Zone. The earthquake was felt as far away as the East Coast. The city is also remembered as being the nearby location for the Mississippi River military engagement, the Battle of Island Number Ten, during the Civil War. The city is the namesake for the song "New Madrid" on the album Anodyne by famed alt. country group Uncle Tupelo.