by Akemi Tamanaha, Associate Editor

In Michigan, lawmakers have introduced two bills designed to prevent foreign entities from owning land in the United States. They claim the bills are necessary for national security, but advocates speaking out against the bills say they are discriminatory, targeting specific groups like Chinese immigrants.

Rising Voices, a nonprofit organization whose goal is to organize and develop the leadership of Asian American women, recently held a press briefing to discuss the legislation.

The two land laws introduced into the Michigan State Legislature are H.B. 4233 and H.B. 4234.

H.B. 4233 would prohibit certain “foreign persons” from purchasing agricultural land in Michigan. H.B. 4234 would prohibit certain “foreign persons” from purchasing “property located within 20 miles of a military installation or key facility.” It specifically targets people from 7 “countries of concern:” China, Russia, Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Venezuela, or Syria.

Similar bills have been introduced in other state legislatures. Organizations like Asian Americans Advancing Justice and the Committee of 100 have been tracking bills they view as discriminatory land laws. 

The recent influx of land law bills hasn’t appeared out of thin air either. 

“This is not something that’s new or happening for the first time in history. This is something that sounds really familiar to those of us studying U.S. history,” Dr. Naoko Wake, a professor of Michigan State University, said at the press briefing.

Several “alien land laws” were passed in the early 1900s, preventing many immigrants and foreign entities from buying property. 

“Our state of Michigan is thinking about moving us back nearly a century,” Michigan State Senator Stephanie Chang said. “That is shameful and something that we need to continue to contend with. 

Sen. Chang and her colleague, State Representative May Xiong spoke out against the bills at the Rising Voices press briefing. They encouraged concerned Michigan residents to voice their opposition to their representatives. 

H.B. 4234 seemingly allows “foreign persons” from those seven countries to buy property as long as it isn’t within a 20-mile radius of military installations or key facilities. But AAJC staff attorney Dennis Ching says that long list of “key facilities” makes the areas covered under H.B. 4234 practically “inescapable.” Key facilities could include structures like refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, cellular towers, airports and other transportation sites.

“In effect, what you’re looking at is a statewide ban on individual property ownership from seven different countries,” Chin said at the briefing. He called the bill a “blatant issue of racial profiling.”

The proposed land laws in Michigan are aimed at preventing China and Chinese people who are not U.S. citizens from owning property. But, they could have a ripple effect on the Asian American community. Advocates are concerned that real estate agents might be reluctant to show or sell properties to Asian Americans because of the land laws.

Jason Guo, a realtor who is on the Board of Directors Association of Chinese Americans, said that the bills could have “unintended consequences for legitimate buyers.” The laws could put unnecessary administrative burdens on real estate agents. State Rep. Xiong also expressed concerns about the amount of resources that might be wasted on implementing the laws.

Guo has real estate experience in Michigan and also in Florida, where land laws have been enacted. He said investment in real estate has decreased significantly after the bills became law.

As of April 17, both bills have been referred for a second reading. Rising Voices is asking people to call or email members of the House Government Operations Committee to voice their opposition to both bills.

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