Two Republican state senators have introduced a bill that would criminalize occupying a vacant property.

It's commonly known as squatting.

The lawmakers claim squatting has long been an issue in New Jersey and want to give homeowners more protections.

But some activists and attorneys are pushing back, saying it's not a widespread problem.

The legislation, they say, is being fueled by fear mongering over migrants.

Melissa Rose Cooper reports.

Everything of value was gone.

Furniture, it appears they had little kids there.

They looked like everybody was sleeping on floors.

They stripped copper out of the the heater, the hot water heater.

A frustrating situation Nick Gregory says he was forced to face after squatters took over the Burlington County home.

He and his siblings inherited after their aunts passed away.

Gregory says he first tried calling police about the situation, but was instead told the contacts and attorney.

Were surprised by the police response.

You know, basically I learned it was a civil matter and not a criminal matter, which is hard to comprehend.

I thought if you broke into a property that's a criminal offense, but apparently if you set up shop and I say so, you know, set up living there and are no, no trespassing signs on the property, then it becomes a civil matter which.

State Senator Douglas Steinhart says can take months or even years to resolve.

We have burglary, which is breaking into somebody's home for the purpose of committing a crime and trespass if there's no intent to commit a crime.

But when the intent is to come in, break into somebody's house, and then deprive them of ownership of it, there's no there's no law in the books in New Jersey to criminalize that conduct.

So Steinhardt is now co-sponsoring legislation, along with State Senator Mike Tester, that would make the unlawful occupancy of a dwelling a crime in New Jersey.

It's becoming more and more problematic.

And unfortunately, as we're finding, it's leading to other unintended consequences where homeowners are being arrested for trying to reclaim their property.

And worse yet, people are walking unknowingly into a property that's occupied.

So I think we're seeing this uptick because there are hundreds of thousands, if not millions in the state, in the United States of America, and certainly thousands in the state of New Jersey residing here illegally.

And now they're going to continue their illegal activity and try to seize someone's home.

But critics of the legislation say New Jersey doesn't have an issue with squatting.

And the real problem is the lack of housing.

And immigrants are part of that housing crisis.

It can be extraordinarily difficult to find secure and stable housing when you are a non-citizen.

The types of paperwork that's collected, the type of, you know, credit history, job employment checks, things like that.

And what we see time and again are landlords will use excuses to try and evict their immigrant tenants or to get their immigrant tenants to sell for that counter.

And Whites believes the legislation is a fear mongering tactic about undocumented people and is actually searching for a problem that doesn't exist.

I wanted to dispel the idea that, like somebody who lives in your house for a week, may have the right to stay there.

That is not true.

It's also not true.

What the sponsors of this bill are saying, which is that let their owners, property owners, have no recourse if somebody invades your house and sets up, you know, and and starts sleeping there.

There are two things already in New Jersey law that property owners can and should do.

The first one is they should call the police.

It's criminal trespass to enter property that you have no right to be in.

Why says there's also what's called an injunction action in place that calls for a fast proceeding, allowing the owner to get damages if the property has been damaged.

Lawmakers supporting the legislation say they just want to make sure homeowners are fully protected.

For NJ Spotlight News, I'm Melissa Rose Cooper.