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.
Portland is an unincorporated community in eastern Callaway County, Missouri, USA. It is part of the Jefferson City, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area. It is located at 38°42′37″N 91°43′02″W / 38.71028°N 91.71722°W / 38.71028; -91.71722 (38.710161,-91.717166) on Route 94 about twenty miles northeast of Jefferson City. It was settled in the 1830s. It is situated directly on the Missouri River, and was settled mostly by German immigrants. The town was called Portland because it was mostly just a little river port used by traders on their way to St. Louis from points further upriver.