Across various news channels and outlets, a visceral fear of some property owners — that an unwanted guest could move into their vacant home, refuse to leave, and then claim ownership — has been a trending story.

These squatter horror stories have reached a fever pitch in the past month after a migrant TikTok influencer, Venezuelan national Leonel Moreno, encouraged people to squat in homes across the United States. Moreno was arrested in Ohio in late March by federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

So far, lawmakers in at least 10 states have floated legislation this year that would address squatting by revoking tenancy rights, making it easier for police to remove squatters or making squatting a criminal offense. Several have quickly enacted new laws.

The bills, typically sponsored by Republicans but often garnering bipartisan support, come at a time of heightened housing anxiety: The shortage of housing is worse than ever, with affordability at a new low. Meanwhile, migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border reached a new monthly high in December, and nearly 80% of Americans think that situation is either a “major problem” or a “crisis.”

Oklahoma state Rep. Ross Ford, whose legislation advanced days after Moreno posted his TikTok video, said he began thinking about the issue several years ago after hearing of incidences in rural areas of the state.

But Ford, a Republican, also told Stateline the recent wave of bills across the country is likely in response to Moreno’s video.

“For me, I heard complaints about squatting from property owners … accounts of individuals scouring newspapers for death notices in search of a place to occupy,” said Ford. “But when that came out, I think it really blew this whole issue up for lawmakers in other states.”

For the most part, squatting — when someone moves into a vacant building or onto uninhabited land — is considered a civil matter, so police officers aren’t empowered to remove someone at an owner’s request. Homeowners can file eviction notices through the courts to remove an unwanted squatter, a process that can take weeks or months.

So far, Florida and West Virginia have enacted laws that classify squatting as a criminal act. Florida’s law creates a process for sheriffs to remove squatters. Georgia Republican Gov. Brian Kemp this week signed a similar bill into law.

Several other states — including Alabama, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and South Carolina — have pending legislation. The anti-squatter fervor also has spread to Capitol Hill, where a U.S. House bill would make squatting a deportable offense.

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