AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Thursday, the Senate Committee on State Affairs discussed Senate Bill 17, which could preclude residents of certain countries from purchasing real estate in Texas.
If passed, SB 17 could block people from countries considered National security threats – like China, Iran, North Korea and Russia – from purchasing agricultural, residential and commercial properties. Residents of these counties who are also lawful United States citizens would still be able to buy property in Texas, according to the bill text.
“At least 22 states have enacted legislation regulating foreign ownership of property,” Texas Sen. Lois Kolkhorst said dur ing the meeting. “It does not deter investment. It just [states] that the decision makers must not be from one of these four countries for national security.”
SB 17 would give the Texas Attorney General the authority to enforce the law in a district court if a resident of one of the listed countries was suspected of having purchased real estate in Texas.
Another similar bill was filed last legislative session in 2023. Kolkhorst said during the meeting that the language was adjusted to clarify the new bill would only apply to individuals primarily based in the foreign country, not legal citizens, dual citizens, or refugees.
“The bill states that prohibited real estate holdings will not include a resident homestead owned by individuals to address any concerns of those who have fled nations with authoritarian regimes, to live the American dream, to come here, to seek asylum and to seek a home in Texas,” Kolkhorst said.
Ahead of the meeting, the Asian Texans for Justice expressed their strong opposition to the bill.
“This bill is nothing more than state-sanctioned discrimination,” Lily Trieu, Co-Executive Director of Asian Texans for Justice, said in a press release.
“SB17 makes a dangerous assumption that anyone from these countries—or who simply looks like they could be—is a threat. It’s a policy rooted in fear and xenophobia, and it has no place in Texas,” she continued.
Asian Texans for Justice worries that if the bill becomes law, it would make it more difficult for some immigrants residing in the U.S. – such as students, professionals, or refugees – to purchase agricultural, commercial or investment properties.
“[This bill] not only mirrors the racist Alien Land Laws of the past but also paves the way for widespread racial profiling against Asian Americans and immigrant communities,” according to a press release.
