Well, not where I live in northeast Florida. A few years ago this type of thing was tried a few times here under some 100 year old law or some such. Problem is the law does not say what they are doing is legal. Our sheriff was being interviewed by local news about it and said emphatically, “make no mistake, there is no law supporting squatting, anyone who tries this will go to jail....period”. It dropped off to zero here. So, IMO it kinda sounds to me like the cops or the states attorney’s office ain’t doin’ they’re job down there.
It sounds like someone in the sheriff or AG's office is crooked and getting paid off.