Republicans Just Made It Legal to Take Homes from Legal Immigrants in Texas
New law empowers Texas Governor to seize property from legal immigrants.
Editor’s note: I wanted to clarify the full scope of SB17 since a few people were confused. The bill bans legal immigrants from certain countries (China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia) from purchasing property. If said individual has ALREADY bought the property, the AG has the right to investigate and seize it. This bill also grants the Governor the right to add any country to the list.
In 2012, a study linked low IQ, racism, and conservatism. Another study from 2015 links cognitive ability with right-wing ideology and prejudice. A third study, from 2019, found that cognitive inflexibility predicts extremism.
Today’s debate over SB17 proves those studies right. The bill restricts property ownership based on nationality and perceived threats from specific countries. Conservative lawmakers rabidly supported this bill, despite clear evidence that it discriminates against legal immigrants, Visa holders, and permanent residents.
Amendments proposing logical safeguards were flatly rejected. Instead, Republicans doubled down on xenophobic rhetoric, framing the bill as a necessary protection against foreign influence.
Today’s debate proved those studies right. Republicans’ reflexive opposition to nuance and factual critique showed the cognitive rigidity that research has consistently linked to conservative, prejudiced, and unintelligent attitudes.
Having a government full of racist morons is only a symptom of Texas having the lowest voter turnout in the nation.
SB17 is racist, plain and simple.
The bill prohibits individuals from certain “designated countries” from purchasing or acquiring real property in Texas. Even if the Republicans frame this bill as a national security measure, it effectively discriminates against individuals based on their nationality, ethnicity, and national origin.
Watch Cole Hefner (R-HD137) lay out the bill and debate Gene Wu (D-HD137).
The bill prohibits property purchases by government entities, companies, and individuals “affiliated” with the countries in question. It allows the Attorney General to investigate, and possibly even lead to the Texas government seizing the property. The specific countries in this bill are China, North Korea, Iran, and Russia.
During Hefner and Wu’s debate, Hefner struggled to define an “affiliated person” clearly, admitting that it was not specifically defined in the bill. An “affiliated person” could be a legal permanent resident, a Green Card holder, a Visa holder, and so on. I think you see where this is going.
Not only could this bill restrain the property rights of students (F1 visas), workers (H1B visas), and investors (EB5 visas) who may have resided legally in Texas for decades, but it also treats legal ownership of property as illegal before any due process happens.
Wu compared the bill to past racist laws that targeted Japanese and Chinese immigrants by restricting property rights based on citizenship eligibility. He argued that banning people based on their country of origin inherently discriminates against legal immigrants who may still be tied to their country of birth.
Further Reading:
Equal Justice Initiative: California’s Alien Land Laws
Governing.com: How States Used Land Laws to Exclude and Displace Asian Americans
Densho Encyclopedia: Alien Land Laws
Republicans’ primary defense is that the bill was a necessary security measure against countries that pose a national threat. However, considering their leader’s love for Putin, I find it peculiar that they added Russia. It’s almost like whatever lawyer drafted this legislation said, “Let’s add a white country too, so we won’t seem racist. How about Russia? Dems hate Russia.” Then poof, the last ten years of them claiming that “Russian collusion was a hoax” just disappear. 🤷🏻♀️
Mitch Little is a good Republican lawyer—he needs to be a Democratic target for 2026.
While so many of these Republicans struggle to string a coherent sentence together and fall apart when Democrats ask them questions, Mitch Little (R-HD64) is sharp (like a fox) regarding the legal aspects of legislation. Little added the first amendment, and right away, some of the heaviest debate hitters, Chris Turner (D-HD101) and Trey Martinez-Fischer (D-HD116).
The amendment strengthens the bill’s rationale by explicitly referencing threats from China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea as identified in the 2025 Annual Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community. It’s a legal defence.
Then something happened that I’ve never seen before. Republicans voted against adding the words of the debate verbatim into the journal. The gasps were audible. But Little brought the vote back up, and it passed (adding the words of the discussion into the journal). The amendment also passed.
By formally aligning with federal intelligence findings, the amendment attempts to preempt legal challenges that could claim the bill violates constitutional rights (like equal protection).
But how did Republicans prove racism (for the one billionth time)?
Next, Chris Turner introduced an amendment to ensure SB17 would comply with the Federal Fair Housing Act, which prohibits discrimination in housing based on national origin, among other protected characteristics.
Want to guess how Republicans voted?
Every Republican and Richard Raymond (D-HD42) voted against complying with the Federal Fair Housing Act.
Then, Rafael Anchia (D-HD103) introduced an amendment to protect legal visa holders from being unfairly restricted.
Once again, every Republican and Richard Raymond voted against it.
This could impact Texas’s reputation as a hub for global talent, especially in medical and technological innovation. White Texans are now a minority in Texas, and Republicans are looking for ways to talk that back.
Currently in Texas, there are:
That’s over a quarter of a million people at risk of having their property taken by the Texas government.
Next, the Republicans voted against allowing professional athletes who are visa holders from their targeted countries to purchase homes.
Half of Southlake’s million-dollar homes belong to professional athletes.
You’re going to hate this next part.
Nate Schatzline (R-HD93) adds an amendment to allow Governor Abbott to add any country of his choosing to the list.
The Shatsline Amendment grants the Governor of Texas the authority to designate additional countries and transnational criminal organizations as threats to the state, allowing them to be added to the DNI-designated hostile countries list.
Which is just insane. The Republicans voted it into the bill.
Watch Gene Wu speak against SB17:
Watch Mihaela Plesa (D-HD70) speak against SB17:
Watch Jolanda Jones (D-HD147) speak against SB17:
Watch Hubert Vo (D-HD149) speak against SB17:
SB17 passed the House after 10:00 pm this evening.
You can see more clips from this debate on my YouTube Channel.
Every Republican and Richard Raymond (D-HD42) voted for it.
SB17 is a dangerous, xenophobic law that targets legal immigrants, visa holders, and residents based on nationality.
Despite clear evidence of its discriminatory nature and repeated warnings from Democrats about its constitutional violations, Texas Republicans pushed the bill through, exposing their willingness to sacrifice civil rights for political grandstanding.
Governor Abbott will sign it into law, and it will face legal challenges, but that’s not enough. Texas cannot afford to keep electing lawmakers who actively legislate discrimination and put the state’s global reputation at risk. The only real way to stop the racist policies of the Texas GOP is to vote them out of office. Voter turnout is the key to dismantling this systemic bias.
It’s time for Texans to reject fear-mongering and xenophobia. It’s time to fight back.
June 2: The 89th Legislative Session ends.
June 3: The beginning of the 2026 election season.
Click here to find out what Legislative districts you’re in.
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When will the Republicans propose leaving the Union to form the New Republic of Texas? Clearly they do not like, nor respect the Constitution of The United States. Rich S, former Texan and Democrat
I cannot read this. It is too horrid to read beyond the words “low voter trnout” Is there anone who can teach people that the VOTE is DEMOCRACY itself and by not voting you are promoting something that will destroy democracy. Please do spread the word about that one thing that denotes that you live in a democracy. and by not voting you are actually voting … but maybe not the way you would have chosen if you were to actually take advantage of that right while you still have it. Hurrah for those who vote!