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.
Rippon is an unincorporated hamlet in Jefferson County, West Virginia south of Charles Town. The village of Rippon developed in the mid-1800s at the crossroads of the Berryville and Charles Town Turnpike (Route 340), Withers-LaRue Road, and Myetstown Road. A number of farms with large old homes still surround the village, as they have since the earliest settlement in the county. According to the 2000 census, the town has a population of 223. The town was named after nearby Ripon Lodge, although an extra "P" was added to avoid confusion with a town in Wisconsin.