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.
Bainbridge Island is an island-city in Kitsap County, Washington, United States, located in Puget Sound. The population was 20,308 at the 2000 census but is now estimated at over 26,000. In July 2005, CNN/Money and Money magazine named Bainbridge Island the second-best place to live in the United States. Its crime rate is also significantly below the national average. The local newspapers are the Bainbridge Island Review (weekly) and the Kitsap Sun (a daily that also produces the weekly Islander). The Bainbridge Conversation and the Voice of Bainbridge are two blogs with regular commentary on island issues.