A man claiming to be a Venezuelan migrant posted a video on TikTok advising others to exploit home squatter laws and occupy homes in the United States. He claims to know of at least seven homes being occupied by migrant squatters.
A TikTok video posted on X shows an alleged Venezuelan migrant talking about exploiting progressive home squatter laws in various states as a means of finding a place to live to “not be a public burden.”
Venezuelan migrant tells his followers on social media that you can just squat in people's homes in the US to take them over. pic.twitter.com/aa75uDTZSU
— Catch Up (@CatchUpFeed) March 20, 2024
According to the translated transcript of his statement, “I think that will be my next business,” the migrant proclaims on TikTok, “to invade abandoned houses.”
The man says he consulted with his “African friends,” who told him they “already have about seven expropriated houses.”
The alleged Venezuelan migrant justified the action, saying the solution is to “invade houses since we are in a street situation and it is only way we have to avoid living on the street and not be a public burden.”
The man reportedly has more than 300,000 TikTok followers.
Progressive state laws make it difficult for legitimate homeowners to remove squatters from their property. In February, an elderly couple with a disabled son were prevented from moving into a $2 million home in New York City after squatters occupied the vacant home, Breitbart News’ Olivia Rondeau reported.
New York law makes it “unlawful for any person to evict or attempt to evict and occupant of a dwelling unit who has lawfully occupied the unit for thirty consecutive days or longer,” the article reports.
In Queens, New York, a homeowner was placed in handcuffs and arrested for “unlawful eviction” as she attempted to get a squatter out of her million-dollar home, National Review reported. The woman attempted to change the locks on the home to keep out squatters who occupied the home after she inherited it from her late parents.
Under New York City laws, a squatter can claim tenant rights after occupying the property for only 30 days. The city apparently passed the progressive ordinance to use abandoned and vacant buildings as a solution to homelessness.
Similar progressive property laws in Seattle allowed a man to occupy a $2 million home against the homeowner’s will. The alleged squatter, Sang Kim, is reportedly making $400,000 per year while living rent-free in the home, according to a post on X by Trending Politics’ Collin Rugg.
NEW: Seattle residents are publicly shaming serial squatter Sang Kim for squatting in a $2M property despite allegedly making $400k a year.
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) March 20, 2024
Let's make publicly shaming squatters a new trend.
According to the landlord, they are unable to get Kim out of their home who owes… pic.twitter.com/ExvcSCO7nP
News about home squatting has been trending of late. The conservative-led state of Florida recently passed an aggressive anti-squatter bill that would allow police to immediately remove squatters, Fox News reported. The law also has protection for legitimate renters who could be wrongfully evicted under the law.
Home handyman turned “squatter hunter” told Fox news that states need to pass more aggressive anti-squatter laws. He cites a report from the National Rental Home Council that reports approximately 1,200 homes in the Atlanta area that are occupied by squatters.
Breitbart’s Alana Mastrangelo reported earlier this month on a squatter who took over a Los Angeles mansion and then rented it out for $2,000 per month to an OnlyFans model.
Massive reporting on the squatter issue and social media posts like the one shown above could lead to migrants illegally present in the United States learning how to exploit these laws to find free housing.
Bob Price is the Breitbart Texas-Border team’s associate editor and senior news contributor. He is an original member of the Breitbart Texas team. Price is a regular panelist on Fox 26 Houston’s What’s Your Point? Sunday morning talk show. He also serves as president of Blue Wonder Gun Care Products.
