Chinese citizens sue Florida — RT World News
Recently passed legislation prohibits certain foreign nationals from buying property in the state
A group of Chinese citizens residing in Florida have sued the state government to challenge a new law that prohibits people from China and other “countries of concern” to own land, judging the measure “draconian” And “discriminatory.”
Plaintiffs represented by the Florida branch of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) filed a lawsuit against state officials on Monday, claiming that the law, SB 264, “imposes discriminatory bans on the ownership and purchase of real estate based on race, ethnicity, foreignness and national origin”.
“Asian immigrants are part of the Floridian fabric. For hundreds of years they have contributed to our communities and made this state their home,” ACLU of Florida Chief Legal Officer Daniel Tilley said in a statement, adding “The discriminatory policies pushed by the DeSantis administration will not go unchecked.”
Scheduled to take effect on July 1, the law will prohibit Chinese citizens who do not have dual U.S. citizenship from buying real estate in Florida and impose slightly less severe restrictions on foreign nationals from Russia, Iran, North Korea, Syria, Cuba and Venezuela. , all of which have been dubbed “countries of concern” by the state legislature. Each country is currently under US sanctions, and all have been deemed adversaries by Washington.
In addition to the ACLU, the Asian American Legal Defense and Education Fund and another local law firm are also representing the Chinese citizens behind the lawsuit. They argued that the measure is based on a “erroneous rational” And “unfairly equates the Chinese people with the actions of their government”, insisting that there is “No Evidence of Harm to National Security Resulting from Chinese Property Ownership in Florida.”
Proponents of SB 264 and similar bills introduced in the United States have claimed such laws are necessary to protect against encroachments from the Chinese Communist Party and other hostile states, including Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. accused “engulf” U.S. property for nefarious purposes, including farmland and areas adjacent to military bases.
A spokesman for Florida Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson, who was named in the lawsuit as a defendant, said state officials are currently reviewing the case.
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