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Viral TikTok guides illegal immigrants to ‘invade’ American homes, citing squatter rights

Migrant influencer Leonal Moreno tips illegal immigrants on how not to be a “public burden” by invoking squatter rights to their advantage.

Published on: Mar 21, 2024, 22:45:56 IST
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A now viral TikTok video addressing illegal immigrants explained how they could invoke squatting laws and ‘invade’ American houses without being a “public burden.” A fellow migrant, Venezuelan TikToker Leonel Moreno, shouts out about his plans of “invading a house in the United States.”

Venezuelan TikToker Leonal Moreno, 'migrant influencer,' tells illegal immigrants about how to twist squatting laws to their advantage and 'invade' US homes.
Venezuelan TikToker Leonal Moreno, 'migrant influencer,' tells illegal immigrants about how to twist squatting laws to their advantage and 'invade' US homes.

Tapping squatter rights, he claims that he's found a law “that says that if a house is not inhabited, we can seize it.” Disseminating his message in Spanish, he announces his next line of business as “invading abandoned houses." Also highlighting that some of his African friends have already found such seven US homes, Moreno believes this to be the apt way for migrants not to be a “public burden” or live as homeless beings on the street.

Viral TikTok video for illegal immigrants and squatting rights

Also read | US government sues Apple for violating antitrust laws

Though prevalent in all 50 states, Squatter's rights (AKA “adverse possession”) aren't uniform across the nation. Squatters are not to be clubbed with trespassers because the latter only enter someone's property briefly. Some states protect non-paying individuals occupying a property for long periods. In New York City, people staying at a property for only 30 days can invoke Squatter's rights.

The Venezuelan TikToker has a firm following of 500,000, and his latest viral video has amassed over 3.9 million views. Yet again, the issue of migrants in the US has significantly divided the internet, with one TikTok user even writing, “This guy needs to be charged with whatever crime." Many others chimed in, claiming he was “engaging others to engage in illegal activities.”

 
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ashima Grover

Ashima Grover is a member of the US-centric news team with Hindustan Times. She writes trending stories about Hollywood, K-pop, reality shows and whatnot, above and beyond the entertainment cloud.

Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
Stay updated with US News covering politics, crime, weather, local events, and sports highlights. Get the latest on Donald Trump and American politics along with Horoscope 2026.
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