A Texas law restricting property ownership and leasing by Chinese citizens came into effect this week, thrusting affected residents into legal limbo with no path to relief before November.
The two plaintiffs, Qinlin Li and Peng Wang, have since filed an appeal, winning temporary relief before that decision was quickly overturned. According to their lawyer, Justin Sadowsky, the earliest possible relief would be after oral arguments before the appeal court scheduled for early November.
Texas is among more than two dozen states that have passed laws restricting foreign purchases of real estate. According to the New York-based Committee of 100, a non-profit group of prominent Chinese-Americans, 22 bills restricting foreign property ownership were under consideration in six US states as of August 20.
The developments come as US-China tensions have cascaded through local and state politics across the US in recent years, sparking alarm about Chinese investment. Much of the concern initially focused on Chinese involvement in the agricultural sector but has since broadened in scope.
