06-03-2025
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.
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