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.
Bryan is a city in Brazos County, Texas, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 65,660. It is the county seat of Brazos County and is located in the heart of the Brazos Valley (Southeast Central Texas). It shares its border with the city of College Station, which lies to its south. Together they are referred to as the Bryan-College Station metropolitan area, the sixteenth largest Metropolitan area in Texas containing around 190,000 people. The city is centrally located, approximately equidistant from three of the 10 largest cities in the United States. It is 92 miles (148 km) north-northwest of Houston, 166 miles (267 km) northeast of San Antonio and 169 miles (272 km) south of Dallas. It is 104 miles (167 km) east of Austin, the state capital of Texas. 75% of the Texas and Louisiana populations (13.1 million people) live within 3.5 driving hours of Bryan.