If you are planning a lengthy holiday getaway don’t leave your home unattended: beware the squatters. In some towns in the U.S. if homeowners take a lengthy vacation and squatters move into their home in the interim the intruders may wind up calling it their own “home sweet home.” And “yes,” it’s legal.
The issue of squatter rights is not something new; squatters have been around since the first European settlers arrived in America. What is new is the emergence of squatters in growing numbers as a result of the Biden administration’s open borders policy. Texas Senator John Cornyn tells us that “since President Biden took office, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has logged more than 5.4 million illegal border crossings, plus at least 1.5 million ‘gotaways’ – that is, border crossers who were detected by CBP technology, but who were never apprehended.” In that same period of time, squatting has become a nationwide issue that is on the rise, thanks to folks like illegal migrant Leonel Moreno who hails from Venezuela and who is encouraging fellow illegals to move into unoccupied homes.
Moreno has an audience in excess of half a million followers and is urging them to move into unoccupied homes, telling them that “if a house is not inhabited, seize it.” A recent Newsmax feature National Police Association spokeswoman Betsy Brantner Smith noted that “thanks to social media, [she] worries that the squatting trend will become more formalized. This is extremely concerning because as migrants become aware that this isn’t just a big city issue, they will go to suburbs and rural areas and find part-time occupied properties.” She said it wouldn’t be a surprise if people visiting their hunting cabins, lake homes, or motor homes this spring and summer encounter squatters who took up residence during the winter months.”
There don’t seem to be existing laws that provide homeowners blanket protections. But it is not too little, too late to enact new laws to protect property owners. In fact, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis recently signed a bill that protects property rights and provides penalties for squatters. “We are putting an end to the squatters’ scam in Florida. While other states are siding with the squatters, we are protecting property owners and punishing criminals looking to game the system. If you’re the victim of squatting, you can simply fill out a form, give it to your local sheriff and the sheriff is instructed to go and remove the people who are inhabiting your dwelling illegally. And that will happen very quickly.”
DeSantis’ Attorney General Ashley Moody noted that “Biden has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood across the border. After video evidence of their plan to take over homes emerged, we’re ensuring Floridians are protected from this egregious and brazen scheme. I’m grateful to Governor DeSantis for signing this important legislation into law, and to Representative Kevin Steele for carrying this bill through Session.”
When a reporter asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to comment on the Florida law, she seemed to dismiss it. She called it “hypothetical” and said, “this is a local issue.”
