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.
Lynden is the second largest city in Whatcom County. Named and established in 1874 on the site of the Noocksack Indian village Squahalish, the town began as a pioneer settlement headed by Holden and Phoebe Judson and is today home to one of the largest CRC Dutch American communities in the nation. Lynden is approximately five miles south of the U.S. -Canadian border, with Lynden-Aldergrove operation and port of entry hours between 8:00 a.m. and midnight. The population was 9,020 at the 2000 census. Residents of Lynden are known as "Lyndenites". Lynden is also home to the Northwest Washington Fair.