US appeal court hears arguments on Florida law restricting property ownership by Chinese
- ‘By restricting housing based on Chinese domicile, Florida is unlawfully restricting housing for Chinese people,’ a lawyer for the plaintiffs contends
- Plaintiffs also argue that Florida’s law conflicts with the US president’s ‘ability to speak for the nation with one voice on matters of foreign policy’
A US appeal court on Friday heard counsel for four Chinese immigrants argue that a Florida law restricting their ability to buy property violates their constitutional right to equal protection and federal right to fair housing, while the state’s counsel said the limitation was in the best interests of national security.
The plaintiffs – Yifan Shen, Zhiming Xu, Xinxi Wang, Yongxin Liu and Florida-based real estate firm Multi-Choice Realty – are asking the 11th US Circuit Court of Appeals to block enforcement of the law while a challenge against it makes its way through district court.
“Florida’s law discriminates based on national origin in violation of the Fair Housing Act and the equal protection clause. By restricting housing based on Chinese domicile, Florida is unlawfully restricting housing for Chinese people,” Ashley Gorski of the American Civil Liberties Union argued for the plaintiffs.
A decision is not expected for a few weeks or months.
Requiring individuals to provide an affidavit establishing their place of domicile and to register the property if they are from certain countries puts a distinct burden on Chinese individuals, Gorski contended.