Florida [US], June 22 (IANS) Florida signed a law banning Chinese citizens without a US green card from buying property in the state, reports CNN, prompting outrage over the law.
The law underscores heightened tensions between the world's two largest economies in a U.S. presidential election year, with the rules stoking unease and confusion among ethnic Chinese living in the state. Some say the law has hurt their businesses, while others say they are considering leaving Florida altogether.
Bian, a 31-year-old software engineer who has lived in the US for 12 years and is a recipient of an H-1B visa, which allows companies to employ foreign workers, was told the decision could land him in jail.
“It was really shocking to me,” said Bian, originally from Nanjing, China.It's just like buying property." "Once I figured it out, I didn't even bother looking again."
After Florida Senate Bill 264 goes into effect on July 1, 2023, Chinese citizens without a green card could face serious charges and prison sentences if they buy property in the state. Sellers and real estate agents also could be found liable under the law, CNN reports.
Bien said he recently started rethinking his life in Florida, and he's not alone.The law specifically prohibits "the purchase or acquisition of real property by any person who is a resident of the People's Republic of China and who is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States." The term “domiciled” has not been fully defined.
“We feel like we're separated from everyone else because of this type of law,” said Echo King, an American citizen who was born in China and is president of the Florida Asian American Justice Coalition. "We feel like we're not welcome."
Susan Lee, a 47-year-old small business owner in Orlando, Florida, who has a green card, said she "really felt discriminated against" when she learned about the bill.Like Bian, Li was looking for a new home when the law was passed. Despite the fact that she is a legal resident of the US, her family decided to put off her residency search out of fear of possible legal complications.
Under SB 264, citizens of Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria are prohibited from purchasing property within 10 miles of any "military installation or critical infrastructure facility" in Florida.
According to CNN, specifically for Chinese citizens without permanent right to reside in the US, the law goes a step further and prohibits the group from purchasing any property in the state.
“Florida is taking action to stand against the greatest geopolitical threat to the United States – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” DeSantis said in a statement last year.,
This law is currently being challenged in court, but several other states are also considering similar legislation.
This controversial law comes at a time when relations between the US and China have become increasingly tense.
Last year, fears of Chinese government spying in the US reached a fever pitch after a Chinese surveillance balloon was found over Montana and ultimately shot down by the US.
In addition to allegations that Chinese-owned apps like TikTok are used for spying (which TikTok denies), US lawmakers have increasingly warned that Chinese purchases of agricultural land pose a national security threat.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, China owns 349,442 acres of agricultural and non-agricultural land in the US, a little less than 1 percent of all foreign-owned land in the US.
The law underscores heightened tensions between the world's two largest economies in a U.S. presidential election year, with the rules stoking unease and confusion among ethnic Chinese living in the state. Some say the law has hurt their businesses, while others say they are considering leaving Florida altogether.
Bian, a 31-year-old software engineer who has lived in the US for 12 years and is a recipient of an H-1B visa, which allows companies to employ foreign workers, was told the decision could land him in jail.
“It was really shocking to me,” said Bian, originally from Nanjing, China.It's just like buying property." "Once I figured it out, I didn't even bother looking again."
After Florida Senate Bill 264 goes into effect on July 1, 2023, Chinese citizens without a green card could face serious charges and prison sentences if they buy property in the state. Sellers and real estate agents also could be found liable under the law, CNN reports.
Bien said he recently started rethinking his life in Florida, and he's not alone.The law specifically prohibits "the purchase or acquisition of real property by any person who is a resident of the People's Republic of China and who is not a citizen or lawful permanent resident of the United States." The term “domiciled” has not been fully defined.
“We feel like we're separated from everyone else because of this type of law,” said Echo King, an American citizen who was born in China and is president of the Florida Asian American Justice Coalition. "We feel like we're not welcome."
Susan Lee, a 47-year-old small business owner in Orlando, Florida, who has a green card, said she "really felt discriminated against" when she learned about the bill.Like Bian, Li was looking for a new home when the law was passed. Despite the fact that she is a legal resident of the US, her family decided to put off her residency search out of fear of possible legal complications.
Under SB 264, citizens of Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela and Syria are prohibited from purchasing property within 10 miles of any "military installation or critical infrastructure facility" in Florida.
According to CNN, specifically for Chinese citizens without permanent right to reside in the US, the law goes a step further and prohibits the group from purchasing any property in the state.
“Florida is taking action to stand against the greatest geopolitical threat to the United States – the Chinese Communist Party (CCP),” DeSantis said in a statement last year.,
This law is currently being challenged in court, but several other states are also considering similar legislation.
This controversial law comes at a time when relations between the US and China have become increasingly tense.
Last year, fears of Chinese government spying in the US reached a fever pitch after a Chinese surveillance balloon was found over Montana and ultimately shot down by the US.
In addition to allegations that Chinese-owned apps like TikTok are used for spying (which TikTok denies), US lawmakers have increasingly warned that Chinese purchases of agricultural land pose a national security threat.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, China owns 349,442 acres of agricultural and non-agricultural land in the US, a little less than 1 percent of all foreign-owned land in the US.
