The law of newly signed Texas prohibits land purchases by nations such as Iran, North Korea
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Texas has become the last state to cement a ban on land purchases and properties by individuals or entities of opponent nations.
Republican governor Greg Abbott signed Bill 17 of the Senate during the weekend, prohibiting countries identified as security threats in the annual evaluation of threats to the intelligence community in 2025, to acquire “real estate” in the state. Countries include China, Russia, Iran and North Korea, and the bill has identified “real estate” such as agricultural land, commercial or industrial properties, residential properties and land used for mining or use of water.
In the midst of increased global tensions, there was an increased appetite to protect the acquisitions of foreign assets in the United States. However, these efforts were criticized by some to be too wide, arbitrary and potentially discriminatory.
Republican governor Greg Abbott signed Bill 17 of the Senate during the weekend, prohibiting countries identified as security threats in the annual evaluation of threats to the intelligence community in 2025, to acquire “real estate” in the state. (Getty Images)
In response to the signing by Abbott of SB 17, the Americans of non -profit Asian origin, advancing justice said that it was “indignant” to the legislation which, according to the group, “creates a too wide network which puts innocent foreign nationals in danger of racial profiling”.
A similar defense was made by the governor of Arizona, Katie Hobbs, after having opposed her veto to a bill aimed at arising the purchases of Chinese land and goods in the state, noting that the bill lacked “clear implementation criteria”, which opened the door to “arbitrary application”. Hobbs, following the counterpoup on his veto, subsequently described the bill as “a sweetened and weak bill on the Chinese”, noting that it allowed the communist country to buy land near the military bases up to three years at a time, and followed this month with its own version of the bill.
The Texas bill exempts American citizens and legal permanent residents. Individuals legally residing in the United States wishing to buy a primary residence are also exempt, as well as tenants of less than a year.
The Texas Attorney General is authorized by the new legislation to investigate the potential violations of the new law, which would be a crime. The law will come into force on September 1.
From left to right, Iranian supreme chief Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Russian president Vladimir Putin, Chinese president Xi Jinping and North Korean supreme chief Kim Jong Un. (Getty Images)
Supporters of measures like that of Texas have cited countries like China to buy land and property near major American military bases. However, it’s not just Earth either, they are also assets.
China has a good basis on the American drone market with many law enforcement agencies using DJI Chinese manufacturing drones. The country has also faced a meticulous examination to build solar converters in the United States which can be exploited for spy efforts, its growing imprint in American sea ports and the penetration of other critical infrastructure.
The Texas bill follows a high-level incident at the beginning of the month when two Chinese nationals were arrested for trying to pass a dangerous organic pathogen in the United States.
“Chinese companies buying American lands, in particular almost sensitive strategic and military sites, are not a coincidence. The CCP is obviously attempting to base espionage efforts, and potentially worse, in our backyard, and it is up to the states accordingly,” said Michael Lucci, the CEO and the founder of the global action, a conservative to develop and to carry out state solutions to security in the state.
“Governor Abbott and the Legislative Assembly of Texas are right to ban foreign opponents from buying land in their state. More and more states should follow their example.”
Twenty-five states adopted bills that restrict foreign property on Monday, June 23, 2025. (Mark Schiefelbein / Pool via Reuters / File photo)
According to the Committee of 100, which follows the bills of States and Federals in the United States which restrict the ownership of foreign entities, 25 states adopted bills which restrict foreign property on Monday. This represents 22 states as recently as March, according to the Committee. Meanwhile, according to the follow -up of the Committee, 15 bills relating to this issue are also examined at the federal level.
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On Monday, the Congress Republicans presented a bill to increase the surveillance of foreign agricultural land purchases, which would add the US Secretary to Agriculture to the Foreign Investment Committee in the United States (CFIUS). This would also force the American Department of Agriculture to report to CFIUS any purchase of national agricultural land by foreign opponents who present risks to national security.
The bills at the level of the State aimed at increasing the control of the acquisitions of foreign land and assets from adversaries seem imminent in New Hampshire and North Carolina, if their governors grant them approval.
