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.
Merrill is a city in Lincoln County, Wisconsin, United States. The population was 10,146 at the 2000 census. The city is located to the south of and adjacent to the Town of Merrill. The Merrill area had a 2000 census population of 16,289, and comprises the core of the United States Census Bureau's Merrill mSA, which includes all of Lincoln County . Together with the Wausau MSA it forms the Wausau-Merrill CSA. As of the 2000 census, the CSA's total population was 155,475.