Judge guidelines Florida regulation banning some Chinese property purchases will be enforced

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — A brand new regulation that bans residents of China and another international locations from buying property in giant swaths of Florida will be enforced whereas being challenged in court docket, a federal choose dominated Thursday.

Judge Allen Winsor denied the American Civil Liberties Union‘s request to dam the state regulation because it seeks to overturn it. The group is representing Chinese residents dwelling in Florida.

The regulation applies to properties inside 10 miles (16 kilometers) of navy installations and different “critical infrastructure” and in addition impacts residents of Cuba, Venezuela, Syria, Iran, Russia and North Korea. But Chinese residents and people promoting property to them face the harshest penalties. The prohibition additionally applies to agricultural land.

The ACLU argued the regulation discriminates towards potential homebuyers by nationality. The state argued that the regulation isn’t discriminatory as a result of it addresses safety points posed by these nations.