Court blocks Florida law barring Chinese nationals from owning property

Lawmakers in several Republican-led states, including Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, are considering similar restrictions on Chinese nationals who own property.

A US appeals court prevented Florida from enforcing a ban on Chinese nationals owning homes or land in the state against two Chinese nationals who were in the process of purchasing property when the law was adopted.

A panel of the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta said Thursday that the people may prevail on claims that Florida's ban violates a federal law governing real estate purchases by foreign nationals.

In August, a federal judge in Florida refused to block the law, prompting an appeal by prosecutors. The 11th Circuit has blocked law enforcement against both plaintiffs pending the outcome of the case.

Lawmakers in several Republican-led states, including Texas, Louisiana and Alabama, are considering similar restrictions on Chinese nationals who own property. China's Foreign Ministry said last year that such laws "violate the rules of the market economy and the rules of international trade."

The office of Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody, a Republican, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Florida's ban violates the U.S. Constitution by specifically targeting Chinese nationals, said Bethany Lee, legal director of the Asian American Legal Defense Fund, one of the groups representing the plaintiffs.

"Today's ruling should serve as a warning to other states considering passing similar racist bills, steeped in history when Asians were ineligible for citizenship and told they didn't belong," Lee said in a statement.

Florida law prohibits people who "reside" in China and are not US citizens or green card holders from purchasing buildings or land in the country.

It also prevents most citizens of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea from owning property near military facilities and infrastructure such as power plants and airports.

The law has a small loophole, allowing non-tourist visa holders from those countries to own a single property located at least five kilometers from critical infrastructure.

Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said when he signed the law last May that it would help protect Americans from the influence of the Chinese Communist Party.