US bill takes aim at state laws restricting property ownership by citizens from China and elsewhere

Florida’s law, which also targets individuals and entities from six other “foreign adversaries”, is now being challenged in federal court by a group of Chinese residents and a real estate brokerage firm.

“While these countries may be competitors or adversaries of the US, such provisions unnecessarily vilify persons lawfully within our country and exacerbate already heightened hostility towards ethnic minorities, in particular persons of Asian descent,” said Green, who like Chu, belongs to the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus.

Green and Chu’s bill also comes as the Louisiana legislature considers a bill that would restrict “foreign adversaries” and individuals connected to them from leasing or acquiring property. The bill passed the state’s House of Representatives on Tuesday by a vote of 78-22.

Like Florida and other states considering similar bills, Louisiana lawmakers have seen their efforts questioned and have removed some of their legislation’s harshest restrictions on ownership by individuals.

Valerie Hodges, a Louisiana state congresswoman and the bill’s sponsor, said it was meant to target “corporations who are trying to buy critical infrastructure”.

Regardless of such bills’ intended target, Asian-American groups have voiced concern about their broader implications.