‘We opened up our borders and I believe it was irresponsible to do that without the resources in place to take care of all those people we have on the streets.’
The United States is facing a severe squatter problem, with tenants’ rights laws in some states protecting non-paying individuals who can occupy a property that is not theirs for months or even years.
Police in most jurisdictions have adopted a hands-off approach toward this widespread issue amid growing concerns that illegal immigrants entering through the southern border may soon discover how easy it is to take over someone’s vacant property.
James S. Burling, vice president of legal affairs for the Pacific Legal Foundation in California, told The Epoch Times that he hasn’t personally seen the squatter issue exacerbated by illegal immigrants but it might be just a matter of time.
“People are smart, especially if you’re waiting for an asylum decision. They talk and if there’s a process to do that, they’ll find out. There are gangs who follow this direction and there’s no reason that immigrants aren’t going to take advantage of the same loopholes.”
Flash Shelton got involved in the squatter business, helping out his mother, whose home was taken over by people with no legal property rights. He has since started his own squatter removal company called Squatter Hunters and says the sheer amount of illegal immigrants crossing the borders of California, Arizona, and Texas is going to cause an influx of issues sooner than later.
“The United Nations estimates a billion squatters worldwide. We know it’s not a U.S. thing, and immigrants know what it is. It’s no secret. We opened up our borders and I believe it was irresponsible to do that without the resources in place to take care of all those people we have on the streets today,” he told The Epoch Times. “It’s only a matter of time before they figure out they can break into someone’s house while on vacation and claim squatter’s rights. Squatting is a viral thing right now in the United States and something not considered with the masses of people coming in undocumented without going through a legal system.”
By Mark Gilman
Read Full Article on TheEpochTimes.com
About the Video: Illegal Immigrants Promote Seizing American Homes
A Venezuelan illegal immigrant posted a viral video online, telling other illegal immigrants that they can legally “expropriate” the homes of Americans through our squatter rights laws. The issue of squatters rights has been growing in the United States, as several states allow people to live rent free in homes, while homeowners can do little about it despite shouldering the mortgage payments.
In this live Q&A with Crossroads host Joshua Philipp, we’ll discuss this topic and others, and answer questions from the audience.
Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and guests, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
