DeSantis signs bill banning Chinese foreign nationals from buying Florida land

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill on Monday banning Chinese citizens from buying land in Florida if they are not also a permanent residents or U.S. citizens, to “crackdown on Communist China.” 

"We don't want the [Chinese Communist Party] in the Sunshine State," DeSantis said at a press conference in Brooksville, Florida. "We want to maintain this as the free state of Florida."

The governor said that the move comes after the CCP is making a "concerted effort to acquire farmland throughout the United States," including the Sunshine State. 

According to a report from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on foreign ownership of American land released in February, Chinese buyers have bought more than 384,235 acres of land in the country. The figure is almost twice the size of the footprint of New York City, which measures around 193,700 acres. 

According to the report, 146 Chinese investors alone own the 366 parcels of land, valued at $2.1 billion. Yet the figure only amounts to less than 1% of foreign-held land in the nation. 

"Food security is also national security, and so we don't want the CCP in charge of any food production," DeSantis added. 

The legislation, which goes into effect on July 1, will prevent any Chinese citizen who is not a lawful permanent resident in the U.S. from owning real estate in Florida. Additionally, anyone who is found to be connected to the Chinese government will also be banned from purchasing land. 

Senate Bill 264 also bans citizens from other “countries of concern,” including Russia, Iran, Syria, North Korea, Cuba, and Venezuela, from purchasing land within 10 miles of military bases or critical infrastructure, such as power plants, water treatment facilities, airports, and seaports, among others.  

“I’m proud to sign this legislation to stop the purchase of our farmland and land near our military bases and critical infrastructure by Chinese agents, to stop sensitive digital data from being stored in China, and to stop CCP influence in our education system from grade school to grad school. We are following through on our commitment to crack down on Communist China,” DeSantis said.