United States Immigration Programs Continue to Strain Local Law Enforcement

by Tony R. Bertolino

Immigration has been a hot button issue in the United States for quite some time. In fact, it was discussed at length in last year's presidential election year. Perhaps the topic is no more passionately debated than in the states that form our southern border. One of the current questions facing the police forces in the Houston area is - how far can officers go in assisting with the federal issue of immigration control without compromising responsibilities to local matters of crime and justice?

The Department of Homeland Security has a division known as the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Part of ICE's efforts includes a 287(g) program, which trains local authorities in immigration duties and gives the officers access to an extensive ICE fingerprint database. The hope is that giving the police officers such power will expedite the process of discovering and deporting those who have entered the country illegally.

The Houston Chronicle printed a story a while back about the effect of ICE's reliance on our communities. The main dilemma facing the suburbs surrounding Houston is the amount of time that officers would need to be away from their local duties in order to be trained by ICE - four or five weeks - as well as the fact that the county would have to continue to pay the salaries of its absent members. Because of these burdens on public safety and the county coffers, none of the six counties that surround Houston has yet applied for participation in the ICE program.

"Taking people out of pocket for an extended period of time would be a problem," said Cpl. Hugh Bishop, representative for the Liberty County Sheriff's Office.

Are the lines between federal and local responsibilities necessarily becoming blurred as the need to address immigration concerns reaches the forefront of policy discussions? If so, is there a way to train the needed law enforcement without further straining resources? These questions will need to be addressed as our country moves forward with the myriad of legal issues created by the immigrants entering our country every day.

With law offices in Austin, Houston and San Antonio, our immigration attorneys make it a priority at Bertolino LLP to keep ourselves at the forefront of immigration law. If you have an issue that requires legal assistance, please contact one of our immigration attorneys. http://www.belolaw.com

About the Author
Tony R. Bertolino is the managing partner at Bertolino LLP with law offices located in Austin, Houston and San Antonio, Texas. A member of the Trial and Appellate Litigation Team, Mr. Bertolino's practice is devoted largely to complex transactions, commercial litigation, business law, entertainment law and family law matters. You can read more about Mr. Bertolino at http://www.belolaw.com

Immigration in Panama

by Laurie Cooper

Panama is a beautiful country. Panama property is one of the most sought after places in the world where people want to settle down. As such there are many reasons why one should settle down or buy Panama property.

The Panama real estate today is booming. This means that today there is high value for the real estate as more and more people are looking to settle down in the country. People who come to take a vacation in the country soon fall in love with the country's beauty and purchase Panama property to settle down. Many people spend a lot of money to purchase property and to build their dream homes in Panama property.

As such Panama has developed a multi-cultural community that caters people from all parts of the world. English is most commonly spoken in Panama and therefore it is easy for anyone from any part of the world to blend in well with the culture of Panama. Most basic amenities area at hand and a lot of money is spent by the government to take care of the civic and the social needs of the people of Panama. Also there are the basic facilities of schooling and education that is well provided for. After the treaty with the United States there is much development in the country and it is free from any forms of internal aggression. Also the low cost of living is a good incentive for the people who are living in the country. The taxes are less and there are many tax exemptions that are offered that make the cost of living very low in Panama property.

If you are looking to settle in Panama property then you should get immigration help that will help you to settle in Panama property without any problems. There are many sources that will help you to get immigration to Panama. You should make sure that you have all the necessary documents ready that are necessary for immigration. This may include a medical certificate, an income certificate as well as a good conduct certificate from your original country.

Also there are many options available that will give you immigration and finally citizenship of Panama. This would include conditions like if you are married to a Panamanian or if you are working in Panama which would constitute of a work permit or you should have some personal sources of income in Panama. You can also be an investor in Panama real estate. There are two sections to this, small scale investors and large scale investors. This will depend upon the type of income that you are generating. Also you can have agricultural permits. If you want to know more about the options on settling down in Panama then you should make sure that you know all the rules and procedures.

It is best if you take help from the agencies that will aid you in settling down in Panama. With the right help you can settle down in Panama property without any problems or hassle.

About the Author
You plan to buy some property, and Panama property is a great choice for sure. If you like exotic countries with beautiful beaches and mountains, than you should visit Laurie Cooper's site http://www.cpanama.com and check Panama real estate offer.