1 of 1 Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the law into law in early May Photo: Portal Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed the law into law in early May Photo: Portal
Four Chinese nationals sued Florida in the United States on Monday (22) to overturn a new law that would ban citizens of China and several other countries from owning homes and land in the state.
The group, represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (Aclu), said in the lawsuit filed in Florida federal court in Tallahassee that the state law, which goes into effect July 1, is unconstitutional and violates a federal statute prohibiting discrimination in housing.
The attorney general’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The law prohibits the ownership of any building or property in Florida by “residents” in China who are not US citizens or green card holders.
In addition to immigrants from China, the law prohibits most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea from owning property within 10 miles of military installations or “critical infrastructure facilities” such as power plants. airport or refinery.
The law provides a small exception that allows nontourist visa holders from these countries to own a single piece of property smaller than two acres and at least five miles from critical infrastructure.
Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is expected to announce his candidacy for the US president soon, signed the law into law in early May, saying it would help protect Americans from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.