In July 2024, the Department of Treasury released a proposed rule to expand the jurisdiction of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to include real estate transactions near military installations. As the appropriate federal authority for investigating any potential national security implications of real estate transactions, this update offers a much more promising alternative to alleviating national security concerns without directly undermining individual civil rights, as has been exemplified in the continued spread and codification of modern day “alien land laws.” These xenophobic laws, which have trended across the country since 2023, seek to restrict the right to owning real estate property for Iranians and other targeted communities solely on the basis of national origin.
As such, expanding CFIUS authority presents the first of many steps to fully addressing and ultimately halting this new wave of blatant discrimination against our community by updating existing legal mechanisms as opposed to creating new, xenophobic ones.
NIAC submitted a public comment on the proposed rule outlining the history of our work on this issue as well as how the Department of Treasury can build on this first, essential step. The comment is included below:
National Iranian American Council Public CommentBack to top