‘Migrant influencer’ Leonel Moreno who encouraged migrants to be squatters is ordered deported
SUMMARY
Leonel Moreno, a Venezuelan "migrant influencer" who encouraged illegal border crossers to squat in U.S. homes, was ordered deported by an Ohio immigration judge. Despite the ruling, a diplomatic standoff between the U.S. and Venezuela makes his deportation unlikely. Venezuela halted deportation flights from the U.S. earlier this year in response to U.S. sanctions, creating a barrier to his removal. Moreno crossed into the U.S. illegally in 2022 and gained attention by flaunting government benefits on social media, including using his U.S.-born child as a prop in videos. He was arrested in Ohio after failing to comply with immigration check-ins and remains in custody. Moreno has denied the accusations, claiming he is a victim of persecution both in his home country and in the U.S.
