Both Iowa’s and Minnesota’s state legislatures have already placed certain restrictions on foreign ownership of farmland in their states, and other states are pushing back in their own way. Florida governor Ron DeSantis plans to crack down on the practice, telling Fox News host Laura Ingraham he doesn’t think that the Chinese should be able to buy American farmland. The governor continued, “I think the problem is these companies have ties to the CCP, and it’s not always apparent on the face of whatever a company is doing — but I think it’s a huge problem.” Representative Dan Newhouse (R., Wash.) introduced the “Prohibition of Agricultural Land for the People’s Republic of China Act” in May, which would ban foreign nationals associated with the Chinese government from purchasing public or private agricultural land in the U.S. The bill also would exclude these individuals or companies from involvement in any U.S. Department of Agriculture programs aside from food-safety inspections.

How have we allowed this to happen in the first place? We know that the Chinese government has attempted to spy on our country numerous times, for instance through their consulate in Houston, which was closed by former secretary of state Mike Pompeo after the Chinese attempted to steal U.S. trade secrets and scientific research. There should be no doubt that they are searching for different avenues through which to extract sensitive intelligence from our military.