MIAMI: A US appeals court has blocked Florida from enforcing a ban on Chinese citizens owning homes or land in the state against two Chinese nationals who were in the process of buying property when the law was adopted.

A panel of the US Circuit Court of Appeals said in Atlanta on Thursday the individuals were likely to prevail on claims that Florida’s ban violates a federal law governing real estate purchases by foreign nationals. A Florida federal judge in August had declined to block the law, prompting an appeal by the plaintiffs. The 11th Circuit blocked enforcement of the law against the two plaintiffs pending the outcome of the case.

Lawmakers in several Republican-led states, including Texas, Louisiana, and Alabama, are considering similar restrictions on Chinese citizens owning property. China’s foreign ministry said last year that such laws “violate the rules of market economy and international trade rules”.

Florida’s ban violates the US constitution by specifically targeting Chinese citizens, said Bethany Li, legal director of the Asian American Legal Defence and Education Fund, one of the groups representing the plaintiffs.

Published in Dawn, February 3rd, 2024