New York homeowner on court battle against squatters: 'I want justice'
Juliya Fulman, a Queens, New York, homeowner, whose property was taken over by two squatters in March, discussed the legal battle to regain control of her home.
FIRST ON FOX: A proposed bill put before Congress on Wednesday would make squatting by illegal immigrants a deportable offense and would permanently bar offenders from admission into the United States.
The legislation, titled the ‘‘Safeguarding Homes from Illegal Entry, Living, and Dwelling Act’’ or the "SHIELD Act," was introduced by Rep. Dan Meuser, R-Penn., amid a rash of incidents in which illegal immigrants have brazenly taken over homes, frustrating homeowners and calling attention to the strengthening of property rights laws.
TikTok influence
Most notably, several Venezuelan migrants in New York City were found last month with drugs and guns in one Bronx dwelling and a Venezuelan TikTok user urged his fellow migrants to unlawfully take over homes across the U.S.
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A group of eight illegal migrants who were found squatting in a Bronx apartment are now facing guns and weapons charges. All had been previously caught at the southern border and released, authorities said. (WNYW)
"The dramatic increase in the number of illegal immigrants squatting in American homes is yet another example of how the disastrous situation at our southern border is impacting communities across the country," Meuser said in a statement announcing the bill. "This legislation will serve as a deterrent to illegal aliens contemplating violating the homes and properties of American citizens."
Migrants will "think twice" before attempting to trespass or illegally take over someone's property, he added.
Deportation eligible
Under the terms of the bill, any illegal immigrant convicted or admits to squatting inside a home is eligible for deportation and would be permanently barred from entering the U.S.
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Venezuelan TikToker Leonel Moreno urged illegal immigrants to take over abandoned homes and invoke squatters' rights. (@Leitooficial_26/Instagram)
Legal loopholes have frustrated property owners as more cases of squatters have received media attention in recent weeks.
In New York City, eight migrants were recently busted at a Bronx home last month on gun and drug charges after police received a call about a gun at the home. One of the migrants, 24-year-old Hector Desousa-Villata, had previous charges for attempted murder after allegedly shooting a fellow migrant in the leg in August during an argument over a woman.
Squatters ‘not tenants’
All eight migrants initially entered the U.S. illegally through the southern border.
New York state Sen. John Liu introduced a bill this week that would define the term "squatter" and would make it clear that squatters do not get any rights or protections after 30 days.
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"It’s gotten a huge amount of visibility and stirred quite a bit of outrage because of some of these egregious and blatant acts of squatting, which is why it’s necessary to make it crystal clear in the law that a squatter is not a tenant and does have the rights that are afforded to tenants in the state of New York," Liu told Fox News Digital.
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