A Republican state representative from Texas, Tony Tinderholt, proposed a bill on Friday that would prevent individuals without legal permission to be in the U.S., as well as citizens from China, Iran, North Korea and Russia, from attending public colleges and universities in Texas.
The legislation has minimal chances of passing this session as it was filed on the last day of the session. The proposal mirrors another bill that garnered significant backlash in the state Senate. Republican lawmakers in the Senate are seeking to bar citizens of the same countries from owning land in Texas.
Although the Senate made amendments to the legislation to allow dual citizens and anyone with a green card to buy property in Texas, Asian Americans continue to express their opposition. Dozens testified against the bill in a Senate committee, fearing it would contribute to anti-Asian sentiment while punishing those who have been living and working in Texas for years on employment visas
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