A ban on Chinese citizens buying property in large swathes of Florida has prompted claims that local politicians are using national security concerns as cover for racism.

The Republican-controlled state legislature passed a law barring visa holders “domiciled” in China from buying real estate or farmland within ten miles of military installations and critical infrastructure, including airports and chemical, gas and water plants.

Ron DeSantis, the state’s governor who ran a failed Republican presidential campaign, celebrated the bill as a “crackdown on communist China” that would protect American citizens from influence by foreign actors.

Chinese nationals who break the law face up to two years in jail and fines of up to $5,000, while estate agents, brokers and developers who handle banned sales risk up