A white separatist group known as Return to the Land (RTTL) has established a 160-acre residential settlement near Ravenden, Arkansas, restricted to individuals of European heritage. The organization operates as a "private membership association" linked to a for-profit LLC. According to court documents, the group utilizes this structure in an attempt to bypass the Fair Housing Act of 1968, which prohibits racial discrimination in housing.
The group currently reports approximately 40 residents at its Arkansas site and has announced plans for additional settlements in the Ozarks, Appalachia, and the South. Applicants pay a $25 fee and undergo background checks that include disclosure of ethnic background. RTTL founder Eric Orwoll has stated in public interviews that the goal is to create "parallel societies" based on common ancestry.
The organization is currently facing a federal lawsuit filed by an applicant who was rejected after disclosing her Russian-Jewish ancestry and her marriage to a Black man. The lawsuit alleges that the group's operations violate Civil Rights statutes. Legal experts, including Tulane University Law professor Stacy Seicshnaydre, noted that the Civil Rights Act of 1866 remains a significant legal hurdle for such developments as it contains no exemptions for racial discrimination in property transactions.
The Arkansas Attorney General’s office stated it has received complaints regarding the development and is looking into the matter. Neither Return to the Land nor its legal counsel responded to requests for comment. The U.S. Department of Justice has not issued a statement regarding the group's activities.