Florida Sued for Chinese Citizens Property Ban

Facts

• Following Gov. Ron DeSantis's (R-FL) signing of a bill that restricts people from China and six other countries from buying property in Florida earlier this month, a group of Chinese Florida residents filed a lawsuit on Monday, arguing that the bill is unconstitutional and violates the Fair Housing Act.¹
• In addition to Chinese nationals who aren't US citizens or green card holders, the bill also affects most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia, and North Korea, barring them from owning property within 10 miles of any military installation.¹
• There's still uncertainty regarding the specifics of the bill, which has led to confusion among Chinese nationals who have already purchased property in Florida. The legislation has been altered to halt broad bans on Chinese Americans owning property statewide and lessen the distance restrictions.²
• The legislation would allow, however, Chinese citizens with non-tourist visas to acquire single parcels of land that are at least 5 miles from critical infrastructure or military installations and smaller than two acres.³
• Chinese citizens connected to the Chinese government or the Chinese Communist Party would also be barred from purchasing real estate in Florida.⁴
• The lawsuit compares the bill — set to take effect on July 1 — to "alien land laws" that US states enacted in the early 20th century that barred Chinese and Japanese immigrants from owning land, most of which were overturned in the 1950s.⁵

Sources: ¹Axios, ²Yahoo News, ³The Hill, ⁴New York Post, and ⁵Reuters.

Narratives

• Republican narrative, as provided by Townhall. Though the details need to be ironed out, this bill is a sensible measure in countering Chinese and other foreign states' influence in the US. For far too long, adversarial nations, namely China, have taken advantage of the US' free market to advance their geopolitical interests. Hopefully, more states will follow DeSantis' lead.
• Democratic narrative, as provided by Los Angeles Times. Though China may not be a benign force in US domestic politics, this bill is too broad, thus making it inherently discriminatory. The US prides itself on being the home of enterprise and freedom, and barring those interested in such ideals from pursuing their dreams is wrong. The US must prevent such discriminatory practices from occurring.