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.
Maxwell is a village in Colfax County, New Mexico, United States. The population was 274 at the 2000 census. Unlike nearby Springer, the village has been losing population due to the rural exodus. Maxwell was established in 1879 as a railroad town on the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe. It was named in honor of Lucien Maxwell, who provided the land for the original townsite from his Maxwell Land Grant.