This past weekend, I spoke to a friend of mine here in Panama.

He is originally from Venezuela, is also a citizen of Spain and has lived in Panama for over a decade.

He mentioned that he was supposed to be heading to the U.S. next month but that he was “a bit worried about it...”

With my curiosity piqued, I asked him why he was worried about it and he responded “well, because of Trump.”

Half holding back a chuckle at the silliness of this statement, I inquired further about what exactly he was concerned about regarding Trump and his visit to the U.S.

My friend then went on to say that because Trump “hates Venezuelans,” he was worried about what they might do with him at immigration.

As I explained to my friend, that is simply not correct and not at all how things work. 

Trump is very much against illegal immigration.

He’s against people sneaking across the border and being in the country illegally. 

This is a completely separate issue from legal migration, which my friend would clearly be partaking in. 

With a Spanish passport, he is legally able to travel to the United States as a tourist. 

Or even if he had his Venezuelan passport with a valid tourist visa, it would be the exact same situation. 

This should not even be a little bit controversial. That's how the immigration system is supposed to work.

The media and political establishment constantly try to blur the lines between legal and illegal migration. 

They want you to believe that wanting secure borders is the same thing as hating immigrants. 

It’s not.

This confusion happens in other areas, too—such as with taxes. 

People often conflate tax evasion (which is illegal) with tax avoidance (which is entirely legal).

In fact, you have every legal right to lower your tax bill so long as you are doing it in accordance with the existing laws of the country or countries that you are a tax resident of. 

You can always maximize the laws in your favour; you just can’t break the laws.

Follow the law, use it to your advantage, and you won’t have a problem. 

That’s what we help people do every day—navigate the systems of the world to help them maximize their freedom and prosperity.

In the meantime, maybe we can all help a friend see through this nonsense. 

Speak soon,

Mikkel

P.S. You will have no trouble whatsoever legally entering Panama when you join our next Fly 'N Buy Real Estate Tour, now less than a month away from May 4-7. It’s a great way to come get your boots on the ground and see Panama in person. Plus, if you end up buying property on the tour, the entire cost of the trip will be reimbursed, along with up to $1,000 in airfare. Only 10 spots are available, so reserve yours today. If you have any questions, contact Susan James from our team at trips@expatmoney.com. 

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