Texas bill would prevent people from certain countries from purchasing land
AUSTIN (KXAN) – On Thursday, the Senate Committee on State Affairs is set to discuss 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.
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.
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.
The group suggested that if the bill becomes law, some immigrants residing in the U.S. – students, professionals, or refugees – would be blocked from purchasing 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.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
15 hours ago
- Yahoo
Some Texas lawmakers demand in-state tuition protections for undocumented students
AUSTIN (KXAN) — A group of Texas lawmakers called on higher education leaders in the state to protect undocumented students' access to in-state tuition, after the state agreed to end the practice earlier this week. On Wednesday, the Justice Department sued the state over the 2001 Texas Dream Act, which allowed those students to receive in-state tuition if they met certain qualifications. The lawsuit alleged this act violated federal law, and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton quickly responded that his office would not contest the suit—causing the law to be repealed through a default judgment. RELATED | Justice Department sues Texas over in-state tuition for undocumented students In a letter sent on Friday, more than a dozen Democratic state representatives called on the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board to create a 'provisional classification' that could allow students who previously qualified under the law to enroll this fall 'at the rate they reasonably expected.' The letter later said, in part, 'It is especially cruel and short-sighted to apply this policy change retroactively just weeks before the start of the 2025-2026 academic year. These students made plans, accepted offers, and committed to their futures in good faith.' The lawmakers urged the board to use its rulemaking authority to create this classification — for example, 'first-generation resident tuition' — at least temporarily. They called for the board to release guidance to institutions that would 'preserve tuition equity for students during the transition period.' The lawmakers also noted the move would not override statute but would provide 'a critical bridge' until the Legislature could address the matter during the next legislative session in two years. Earlier this year, during the most recent legislative session, lawmakers considered bills to repeal the Dream Act and heard hours of testimony on it, but it was left pending and failed to pass. In 2001, the Dream Act had bipartisan support and was signed into law by Republican former Governor Rick Perry. RELATED | Texas' undocumented college students no longer qualify for in-state tuition In its lawsuit, the DOJ argues that a 1996 federal law, known as the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act (IIRIRA), preempts the Dream Act. Attorney General Pam Bondi called it a 'blatant violation' of the federal law. 'Under federal law, schools cannot provide benefits to illegal aliens that they do not provide to U.S. citizens,' Bondi said. 'The Justice Department will relentlessly fight to vindicate federal law and ensure that U.S. citizens are not treated like second-class citizens anywhere in the country.' Legal experts talked to KXAN this week about whether the move by the Trump administration and Paxton's quick agreement allowed for any way for opponents of the change to challenge the decision. Josh Blackman, associate professor of law at South Texas College of Law, said the decision appears effectively final. Barbara Hines, an immigration law professor who helped craft the initial Texas Dream Act, did not share Blackman's assessment that it was the end of the road for the law. She said that in previous lawsuits related to the Dream Act or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, other parties have been allowed to intervene. RELATED | Law professors react: Texas will no longer provide in-state tuition to undocumented students According to the Texas Higher Education Commissioner, around 19,000 students will be affected by the change. The lawmakers' letter argued that the state stands to lose talent, which could affect the workforce and the economy. It said, 'This is not just a moral failure, it's a strategic and economic blunder that will be felt for generations to come.' Economic factors proved to be a driving force behind the Dream Act's passage in 2001. According to a 2015 report by The Texas Tribune, former Governor Perry said at the time, '[Texas] had a choice to make economically: Are you going to put these people in a position of having to rely upon government to take care of themselves, or are you going to let them be educated and be contributing members of society, obviously working towards their citizenship.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Roughly 1,100 applications submitted by former federal workers amid Austin hiring campaign
AUSTIN (KXAN) — President Donald Trump's promise to cut federal workforce is starting to show in the latest jobs report from the U.S. Department of Labor, which indicated 22,000 fewer federal government jobs in the last month alone. In response to the president's letting go of some federal workforce, the city of Austin re-launched a recruitment effort its used in the past called the Get Hired campaign — this time aimed at those federal workers. 'We value public servants': Austin targeting federal staff let go by Trump administration The city said between March 21 and May 23, the duration of that campaign, the city received roughly 1,100 applications from former federal employees. Of those folks, 30 now work for the city, according to the city's human resource director, Susan Sinz. 'It is good to see that with that previous federal experience, how much we benefit from that….they understand customer service, I think they understand citizen engagement and they really understand how to be a servant leader and in our community that's what we're looking for,' Sinz said. On average, the city has 100 vacancies at any given time, though that includes everything — lifeguards, librarians, police officers — and those vacancies fluctuate greatly based on season. The city employs roughly 17,000 people, Sinz noted. Though that program targeting federal employees wrapped up late last month, Sinz hopes those folks will continue to keep their sights set on our city. 'We are excited to have them explore employment here at the city of Austin and really wish them a super long career here,' she said. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Texas House newcomers champion causes close to home
AUSTIN (KXAN)–The 89th Texas Legislative Session concluded with 31 new state representatives completing their first 140 days in office, representing more than 20% of the House chamber. Among these freshman lawmakers were Republican Don McLaughlin of District 80 in south Texas and Democrat Lauren Ashley Simmons of District 146 in the Houston area. Each brought distinct backgrounds and legislative priorities to Austin. The freshman class emerged from elections that shifted the House composition to 88 Republicans and 62 Democrats, with Republicans gaining two additional seats. McLaughlin, who previously served as mayor of Uvalde during the tragic 2022 school shooting that killed 19 children and two teachers, focused his legislative efforts on improving law enforcement response protocols. His signature legislation, the Uvalde Strong Act, passed both chambers and awaits Gov. Greg Abbott's signature. 'What I see in this bill, more than anything, is if an agency shows up, all these agencies have been training together, supposed to be meeting together now, so if the first agency on the scene does nothing, the second agency immediately knows what to do, then we won't have that chaos and that indecision that we saw that day at Uvalde,' McLaughlin said in an interview with KXAN's Will DuPree shortly after the session ended. The legislation would mandate annual training exercises between school districts and law enforcement agencies, require crisis response policies and establish reporting requirements for active shooter incidents. McLaughlin acknowledged the painful necessity behind his legislation. 'It's very meaningful. I'm ecstatic over but same token, I'm sad that we had to pass a law like this,' he said. On the Democratic side, Simmons was recognized by her colleagues as Freshman of the Year within the House Democratic Caucus. Despite serving in the minority party, she successfully advanced multiple pieces of legislation, with at least 11 bills bearing her name awaiting the governor's signature and five additional measures she co-authored or co-sponsored set to become law. Her most personal legislative achievement was House Bill 107, which would establish a Sickle Cell Disease Registry in Texas. The measure represents a personal fight for the Houston Democrat. 'My daughter has sickle cell disease. That was a bill I watched very closely. I was in tears when it did not become law, but I just couldn't. I had no idea that I would be in the legislature, and I would be that person that was able to bring that bill back,' Simmons said in an interview with KXAN's Will Dupree. The legislation represents a second attempt after a similar measure was vetoed by Abbott in 2023. Simmons worked to address the governor's previous concerns while maintaining the bill's core purpose. 'We made sure that we address the concerns that came from the governor's office, and so we are very confident with those you know, updates to that bill,' she said. Both lawmakers expressed exhaustion but satisfaction with their first legislative experience. McLaughlin highlighted additional accomplishments including judicial pay raises, bail reform measures and infrastructure improvements for economically distressed border communities in his district. 'You know, I think it was good. I think we had a really good session. You know, did we please everybody? Probably not, but I think we got a lot of good things done for the state of Texas in this session,' McLaughlin said. Simmons emphasized the magnitude of conducting state business for Texas, the nation's second-largest state by both population and economy, within the constraints of a biennial 140-day session. 'Being able to see how much work we're able to do, all the things that we're able to do for not just our individual districts that we represent, but for the millions of people in this state. It's such an honor. It's a heavy task. It's a heavy lift,' she said. The freshman class faced the challenge of learning legislative procedures while advancing their policy priorities. Simmons noted the complexity of the process, saying she 'gained a lot of respect for the process when you see just how many ways a bill can die.' As the session concluded, both representatives expressed commitment to continued advocacy for their constituents. McLaughlin indicated he would closely monitor the governor's action on the Uvalde Strong Act, while Simmons vowed to maintain her opposition to the state takeover of Houston Independent School District, which was extended through 2027. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
