U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials confirmed on Wednesday that eight illegal immigrants from Venezuela who were found living in a New York City home with guns and drugs last week were previously detained at the southern border and released into the country, with one of them being suspected of trying to kill someone.
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody pointed at the Biden administration, calling his border police “Ridiculous.”
“The release of these squatters is not surprising given the broken criminal justice system in NYC, but more importantly, before @JoeBiden’s admin took over, criminal illegal aliens would not have had the opportunity to exploit bad squatter policies,” said Moody on X.
Read: Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs 7 Bills Including Parking, Skin Cancer Screening
“They would have been detained and removed following their previous crimes. Americans should know that not only is Biden allowing the flow of millions of unvetted illegal immigrants across the border, but he has also refused, since day one, to deport many of those who commit further crimes after crossing the border. Ridiculous,” Moody said.
According to ICE, who Fox News briefed, immigration officials detained three more squatters who were being held in local custody and arrested three of them again on Wednesday. One is still at large.
On March 27, New York police apprehended the migrants after receiving a report of someone brandishing a pistol at a Bronx apartment.
According to NYPD Chief of Patrol John Chell, when police arrived, they discovered a man pointing a gun at someone in the driveway of the apartment building, and the the suspect ran into the basement of the building when the cops approached him.
In Florida, Governor DeSantis signed House Bill 621 to swiftly remove squatters from homes and prevent ‘home takeovers.’
Read: DeSantis, Moody Fighting Back On Migrant ‘Parole’ Flights To Florida, Texas And Other States
“If you purchase a home and own a residence, that that’s your residence, and if you happen to split time in Orlando and Michigan, and if you go to Michigan over the summer, people aren’t going to be able to just move into your house and then claim squatter’s rights on your private residence and yet in places like New York and California, that’s exactly what’s happening in this country. Homes are being invaded, and those States and their law are not siding with the homeowners; they’re siding with the squatters,” said DeSantis.
Squatters often target abandoned or unoccupied properties, taking advantage of their owners’ absence or neglect. They may occupy these properties, make necessary repairs, and even sell them without the rightful owner’s knowledge or consent.
House Bill 621 will allow a Florida homeowner to quickly and legally remove a squatter from a property, increasing criminal penalties for squatting.
In Florida, reclaiming your home from squatters will be quick and simple, avoiding costly delays, litigation, and missed rents.
HB 621 also creates harsh penalties for those engaged in squatting and for those who encourage squatting and teach others the scam. The bill makes it:
- A first-degree misdemeanor for making a false statement in writing to obtain real property or for knowingly and willfully presenting a falsified document conveying property rights;
- A second-degree felony for any person who unlawfully occupies or trespasses in a residential dwelling and who intentionally causes $1,000 or more in damages; and
- A first-degree felony for knowingly advertising the sale or rent of a residential property without legal authority or ownership.
“The squatter scam ends today. With my signature on this piece of legislation, the State of Florida will be better off for it,” said DeSantis.
“Florida is once again leading the nation, this time in securing our state against squatters,” said Attorney General Ashley Moody. “Biden has allowed millions of illegal immigrants to flood across the border. After video evidence of their plan to take over homes emerged, we’re ensuring Floridians are protected from this egregious and brazen scheme. I’m grateful to Governor DeSantis for signing this important legislation into law, and to Representative Kevin Steele for carrying this bill through Session.”
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