Three months after Florida banned many Chinese citizens from owning property, some real estate agents say they are losing business as families across the state are walking away from deals.
Longtime Florida resident Kristen Zhang was thrilled when last year her parents in China decided to buy a new house nearby, built from the ground up, in Orlando. After being separated during the pandemic, they’d finally be able to spend time with their grandkids.
But in May Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bipartisan law, SB 264, banning certain Chinese nationals from buying property in the state to counter “the malign influence of the Chinese Communist Party in the state of Florida.”
“This is racist. After I told my parents about the bill, they feel like America doesn’t welcome us. They don’t want to come here anymore.”
Kristen zhang, whose parents were looking to buy a home in florida
Zhang’s parents had to abandon their plans this summer, finally canceling the contract last month. Fortunately, the project was still at an early-enough stage to secure a refund on their deposit from the developer, but Zhang said the decision was wrenching.
“This is racist,” she said. “After I told my parents about the bill, they feel like America doesn’t welcome us. They don’t want to come here anymore.”
A group of Chinese immigrants, backed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other civil rights groups, have been pushing to invalidate the new law. The Justice Department backed their effort in a filing this summer, saying the measure is unconstitutional, but a judge ruled against the challenge in August, teeing up an appeal. A spokesperson for DeSantis — who is currently running for the 2024 GOP presidential nomination — said in an email that the restrictions are aimed to protect the state’s security interests.
“Florida continues to take these threats to our state sovereignty seriously, and we will continue to take action where it’s necessary to protect…
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