Unusual Whales

Chinese citizens working and living in Florida sued the state for a law that would ban them from being able to buy property within the state

Unusual Whales -

Per BBC

Florida will impose a law on July 1 that would ban Chinese citizens from purchasing property within the state. Chinese citizens working and living in the state are now filing a lawsuit, arguing that the law wasn't constitutional.

Aside from being unconstitutional, the group of Chinese citizens also argued that it was discriminatory. The ban would reportedly include people of Asian descent, including Chinese Americans.

In certain parts of the bill, it was argued that they decided to do this for US national security protection. ACLU senior staff attorney Ashley Gorski gave a statement regarding Florida's new law.

Gorski: "Florida's discriminatory property law is unfair, unjustified, and unconstitutional... Everyone in the United States is entitled to equal protection under our laws, including citizens of other countries."

ACLU and two other groups represented the plaintiffs. They note that even everyday residents and other American citizens would be discriminated against within the state.

The law would also bar foreign entities coming from the following countries.

  • Russia
  • Iran
  • North Korea
  • Cuba
  • Venezuela
  • Syria

DeSantis signed the law on May 8, explaining why he did this. The SB 264 law, expected to take effect on July 1, was signed to reportedly "stop the influence of the Chinese Communist party," according to DeSantis.

In mid-March, the Biden administration demanded that TikTok's Chinese owners sell their stake in the video-sharing app, or they would face a possible ban in the US. This comes as the app has already been banned on most government phones and even in the state of Montana, where the company is trying to sue the state back.

Toward the end of April, the Chinese yuan surpassed the US dollar as the most commonly used currency for cross-border transactions in China. The developments were reportedly a reflection of Beijing's efforts to try and promote the international use of the yuan.

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