Texas Senate passed the controversial Senate Bill 147 (SB 147) aimed to prohibit specific countries, and entities affiliated with those countries, from buying land in Texas. The nations listed are Russia, China, Iran, and North Korea. These designated countries have been determined by the federal government to be threats to America. 

In the United States and in Texas, known purchases of land have been acquired by companies affiliated with China. The most notable event of this in Texas was the purchase of land for “wind farming,” right next to Laughlin Airforce Base in Del Rio Texas. 

That is the backdrop of this bill, to protect Texas and its infrastructure from foreign influence that has been deemed a threat to the United States. 

Under this bill, the governments of the designated countries, and the companies headquartered in those nations or are under the control of those nations, cannot purchase Texas land.

The bill however does not apply to citizens of both the United States and the designated countries. The bill also does not apply to lawful permanent residents of the United States such as green card holders. These people would still be able to purchase land for businesses, homes, and leases. 

While they agree with protecting national security from nations and companies designated as threats to the U.S., opponents of the bill say the problem is that it also targets visa holders and prevents them from purchasing land because of their national origin alone without evidence of being a threat to the United States. It prohibits their right to own homes and businesses. 

“We have never doubted the need for dealing with national defense and national security,” said State Representative Gene Wu in an interview for the Texas Standard. “But the point that we’ve been trying to make from the very beginning is that people from a country do not represent that country no more than if Americans travel overseas. Do you represent American foreign policy? If you are concerned about the government, then pass laws against just those governments.”