Federal judge says there’s no “substantial likelihood” that racism influenced state legislature.
U.S. District Judge Allen Winsor ruled against plaintiffs attempting to block Florida’s new law prohibiting those who formerly lived in China from purchasing land within the state. The lawsuit claims that the law illegally discriminates against Chinese individuals.
The plaintiffs requested that the court place a preliminary injunction on the law to block it from going into effect while the case moved through the court. For a preliminary injunction to be placed, plaintiffs have to show that they are very likely to win their case in the end. Judge Winsor did not think the case was strong enough to warrant one, writing, “Plaintiffs have not shown a substantial likelihood that unlawful animus motivated the Legislature.”
The judge added that the law was written in such a way that “it would apply to a person of Chinese descent domiciled in China the same way it would apply to a person not of Chinese descent domiciled in China. And its application would never turn on a person’s race.”
As the Lord Leads, Pray with Us…
- For Judge Windsor as he continues to hear the case that restricts foreign individuals from purchasing land in Florida.
- For the attorneys on both sides of the case to be accurate in their arguments.
- For Florida state legislators and officials as they seek to secure the state lands from foreign ownership.
Sources: Politico, Forbes
