Doing a bit of research this morning, I came across this Google Streetview snap along Renaissance NE at Commerce NE from August of last year.

Of course, I don’t know why the person is standing with what might be a big, fat folder of papers on this solitary island of sidewalk, but I do know from looking into it a bit that the big building up the hill from her is the Albuquerque Field Office for the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Folks set up appointments at this Field Office for purposes of:

• Interviews for all non-asylum cases (for example, getting a Green Card);
• Naturalization ceremonies; and
• Appointments for information and applicant services that supplement what we provide through our website and by phone (for example, case-specific scenarios that require in-person help).

Looking up parcel ownership via the BernCo map, it looks like USCIS rents its space and the parcel upon which the person is standing is owned by…well, I’m not going to put the name here because we’re not into that. As you probably all know, sidewalk construction is left up to the home/landowner in ABQ, so technically it’s perfectly fine and we’ll all good with this person standing on a lonely island of sidewalk and curb ramp at the corner of Renaissance NE and Commerce NE.

You know, I’m sorry…uh, I’m not perfectly fine and all good with that, anywhere, including very specifically the corner just down the way from the Field Office of the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services. In the perhaps wholly fictional narrative running presently through my mind, this person is holding a big folder of papers including those pertaining to her brand new citizenship status, after attending their naturalization ceremony at USCIS.

If so, welcome to America.