TikTok Explainer: How Squatting Laws Benefit Undocumented Immigrants Goes Viral

A Venezuelan immigrant went viral on social media after posting a video explaining how illegal immigrants could take advantage of the squatting law and stay in American houses.

In the TikTok clip, a man named Leonal Moreno says: “I’ve thought about invading an American house.” “I learned that there’s a law that allows us to seize a house if it is unoccupied.”

In Spanish, the man said to his followers that his next venture would be to “invade” abandoned homes. He said that his African friends told him they had already taken seven houses in the U.S.

Moreno said that for migrants not to be “public burdens” and to avoid living on the streets, the law allows them to buy deteriorated houses and repair them. They can then live there. The man claimed that the new residents could then sell the home.

The laws governing squatters, tenants, and their rights vary from state to state. Some states protect individuals who do not pay rent, allowing them the right to stay in a home for an extended time. Where complex laws prevent police from intervening, homeowners are left with few options for reclaiming their property, other than pursuing a lawsuit, which could take several months.

After a standoff, a property owner was arrested in New York City after a group of squatters allegedly took her property after the death of her parents.

The police told the homeowner they could not remove the squatter and that the case would be taken to court. Adele Andaloro was arrested for unlawful eviction after she changed the locks in the house.

The squatting incident follows other high-profile incidents of squatting across the country. In Queens, a couple with a child who has Down syndrome say that they were unable to move into their $2 million home because of a squatter.

According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, since 2021, nearly 7.3 million illegal migrants have entered the U.S. Texas has sent more than 100,000 migrants to other major cities, the majority of whom are in New York City or Chicago, since 2022. Bloomberg reports that the Big Apple spent over $1.45 billion on migrant housing costs in fiscal year 2023.

@ahmadtalkss TikToker is going viral by telling illegal immigrants how to “invade” homes in America thanks to progressive squatting laws #politicaltiktok #politics #fyp #nyc #florida ♬ original sound – ahmadtalkss🇪🇬🇺🇸

Moreno the TikToker gained attention on social media when he called for his 500,000 fans to “unite” in order to pay the fines of an alleged 15-year-old migrant accused of shooting a tourist at Times Square.

“I invite you all to come together and pay the fines so the young Venezuelan will feel that he is not alone in difficult times. Remember that there is a God up there who watches over everything [down there],” said the Venezuelan TikToker in the video which received more than 2.5 million views.

He said, “An entire nation is on top of the young man instead of helping him. Remember that the young person will be released. Do you know why he’ll be released? “Because he is underage.”

Moreno said in the video, “You don’t know what God will do to you.” He was referring to the attempted murder charges brought against Jesus Alejandro Rivas Figueroa, an 18-year-old who is being tried as an adult.