Texas bill banning foreign nationals from buying land sparks outrage in Austin

Austin, Texas. Outrage is growing over a bill filed in the Texas Legislature that would ban citizens and organizations from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia from buying land in Texas.

Senate Bill 147 is sponsored by Republican Senator Lois Colkhorst, who explained that the goal is to protect Texas land from foreign ownership.

Austinian Victoria Lee considers the bill a form of “xenophobia” and “racism”. Li has lived in the area for the past 45 years, but is an immigrant from Free China. Like many immigrants, she moved to America in search of a dream, but said that what is being offered is a repudiation of her promise.

“He will greet you, hug you, and as long as you work hard, as long as you contribute, you should have a good life,” Lee said. “It’s a signal that Texas doesn’t welcome foreigners.”

Eric Tang, director of the Center for Asian American Studies at the University of Texas at Austin, says the bill is reminiscent of a 1900s California bill known as the Alien Laws. This bill prohibited non-citizens from buying and owning real estate in California.

“It was enacted at a time when Chinese immigrants, in particular, could not obtain naturalized citizenship, so it effectively denied anyone of Chinese origin the right to own property in the state of California. Such bills are generally unconstitutional today,” Tan said. said.

State Rep. Jin Woo (D-Houston) joined US Congresswoman Judy Chu and other leaders in the Asian community to discuss the bill.

Haipei Shu, president of the Chinese Americans, explained that these bills are not limited to Texas. These bills are also being introduced in Florida, New Jersey and Tennessee.

“We no longer have any choice but to organize and we must fight like never before for our own security, our livelihood and our equal treatment,” Shu said.

For Lee, the proposed bill makes you think about the land she now lives on with her husband, the home she created, and the place she thinks is hers.

“I love Austin, I love Texas, knowing Texas doesn’t or might not want me here just hurts my feelings,” Lee said.

Kolkhorst also clarified that the bill would be about increasing land acquisition by companies associated with the Chinese government. Gov. Greg Abbott said that if SB 147 passes this legislative session, he sign it’s in the law.

On February 22, Kolkorst sent the following statement to the HEC regarding SB 147:

“As I traveled around my Senate district, one of the top concerns for many Texans was national security and the growing ownership of Texas land by some hostile foreign entities, such as the nearly 140,000 acres of land near Laughlin Air Force Base in Del Rio, which was purchased by a former Chinese army officer. Many Texans see this trend as a very disturbing and serious danger signal.

This bill may be even more important in light of the Chinese spy balloon that flew over the continental United States before being shot down by the US military just a few days ago. It is clear that the national security concerns of ordinary Texans continue to grow.

Senate Bill 147 will preserve our cherished private property rights and constitutional freedoms. It does not prohibit foreign investment in business in Texas because companies can still do business by leasing land and buildings; it also does not prevent any person from renting a house. The passage of this law provides assurance that Texas will remain Texas.

The law is based on SB 2116 passed unanimously by the Texas Legislature in 2021. This bill prohibits government agencies from contracting citizens or corporations owned by citizens from Russia, North Korea, China, or Iran to build or maintain critical infrastructure in Texas for reasons of national security. . Reflecting this legislation, SB 147 also names the same four countries and prohibits them from purchasing Texas land in the future.

In replacing the committee in the bill, it will be crystal clear that the bans do not apply to citizens of the United States and lawful permanent residents. It has always been about reasonable guarantees against Russian, North Korean, Chinese and Iranian authoritarian regimes, not those fleeing the tyranny of governments seeking freedom in Texas.”

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