Florida Bans Non-Resident Chinese Citizens From Owning Land

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday restricting land ownership rights for citizens of China and other so-called “foreign countries of concern.”

The Details: The new law bans Chinese officials, CCP members, and Chinese residents who are not also U.S. residents from owning any real estate in Florida. It also bans citizens of China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, and Syria from buying agricultural land in the state if they are not also U.S. citizens or permanent U.S. residents. With non-tourist visas, these citizens will be allowed to purchase one residential property under 2 acres at least 5 miles from military installations, but government officials from those countries will be prohibited from buying land within 10 miles of military installations.

Other Legislation: DeSantis signed two other bills on Monday, one of which bars employees of state universities from accepting gifts from universities based in “countries of concern.” The other requires government and educational institutions to block certain foreign apps, which the state legislature said would likely include TikTok. 

How the Media Covered It: There appeared to be some confusion about what the land bill specifically banned; several articles relied on a local Fox affiliate’s description. The New York Post (Lean Right bias) offered a narrower headline, saying the bill bans “Chinese agents” from buying real estate. While coverage on the left and right mentioned concerns of discrimination, the Tallahassee Democrat (Center bias) featured these concerns prominently.