The Ohio legislation that could force Chinese scientists to sell their US homes
Xiang Zhang, a professor of genomics at the University of Cincinnati, drove more than 1,000 miles over two days to oppose a proposed law that would force him to sell his home, even though he is a US permanent resident.
'I never thought that one day, I would have to stand here in front of you to defend myself solely because of my nationality,' he told a packed hearing room in the Ohio Statehouse on Tuesday morning, after cutting short a trip to make it back and give his testimony.
'I never thought that one day, I would lose my house in Ohio solely because of my nationality.'
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Zhang – who arrived in the US in 1998 with just a suitcase and a US$100 bill, and now leads a major research facility that supports hundreds of life scientists across the country – told Public Safety Committee lawmakers that he had been living his American dream.
The midwestern state is following in the footsteps of Florida and Texas by proposing legislation to ban non-citizens from 'foreign adversary' countries – such as China, Iran, and Russia – from owning land within 25 miles (40km) of critical infrastructure.
House Bill 1, which is supposed to address national security concerns like espionage and cyberattacks, would apply even to green card holders like Zhang. Under SB 88, a related Senate bill, he would be required to sell his house within two years.
Ohio Realtors, the state's largest professional trade association, said House Bill 1 would be likely to become 'the most restrictive law of its kind in the entire nation'. Unlike similar laws, Ohio's bill covers nearly all real estate in the state and makes no exceptions for legal residents.
In testimony, the association warned that the bill's broad definition of critical infrastructure – which includes electric generation plants, water treatment facilities, and telecommunication systems – would make nearly all property in Ohio off-limits to affected immigrants.
The association also noted that the bill could face legal challenges for potentially violating federal laws, including the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment to the US Constitution. It would also hinder Ohio's universities from 'attracting the best talent from across the globe'.
About 100 people attended the hearing, making it one of the most well-attended in recent years, a Statehouse employee said. The crowd was so large that some had to move to an overflow room to watch a live stream of the event.
Many in the room were US citizens who would not be directly affected by the bill. They said they came to speak out against what they viewed as a discriminatory law.
Among those who testified was Anquan Wang, a senior aerospace engineer at GE Aerospace in Cincinnati.
With decades of experience in the aviation industry, Wang said that he had had first-hand encounters with overseas attempts to steal US technologies. 'We need to counter real foreign adversaries. We need to be laser-focused, because the threat is real,' he said.
'But targeting ordinary people who came here legally to study and work is out of focus. Depriving them of constitutional rights to acquire properties is completely wrong and has nothing to do with national security.'
Wang said the bill made him feel discriminated against, as it targeted individuals based on national origin – something no one could choose. By casting all citizens from certain countries as potential threats, the law promoted fear and prejudice, he added.
'House Bill 1 is about racial profiling and fear mongering. If this isn't racial profiling, I don't know what racial profiling is. If this isn't fear mongering, I don't know what fear mongering is.'
Wang added that his colleague and neighbour Dr Li, a China-born US citizen and senior military aircraft engineer, was already considering leaving Ohio because of the bill. 'Dr Li has worked on military aircraft engine programmes for more than 20 years,' he said.
'When experienced people like him start to leave, it's a great loss to our company. Twenty years of experience in our industry is worth tens of millions of dollars. It also hurts our defence programmes.' I've always believed in passing on my knowledge and skills to the next generation of scientists here in the US, because science, at its heart, is about building something greater than ourselves
Wing Keung Chan, a biomedical researcher at The Ohio State University in Columbus, said he had noticed a steady decline in the number of China-born scientists around him over the past couple of years. The bill would only accelerate that trend, he said.
Chan, who came to the US in 2008 after completing his PhD at the University of Hong Kong, said he came to pursue his American dream and now worked alongside both Americans and immigrant colleagues on diseases that affected everybody.
His efforts included supporting clinical trials, mentoring students, and collaborating across institutions. 'I've always believed in passing on my knowledge and skills to the next generation of scientists here in the US, because science, at its heart, is about building something greater than ourselves,' he said.
Citing data from Science and other leading journals, Chan noted that China-born researchers made up a significant portion of the US medical and STEM workforce, contributing heavily to research, healthcare, and higher education.
But growing suspicion towards scientists of Chinese descent had already taken a toll, he said. Nearly 20,000 left the US between 2010 and 2021, including more than 1,000 life scientists who departed in 2021 alone.
'Legislation like House Bill 1 and Senate Bill 88 does not protect our future – it jeopardises it,' Chan said. 'It risks turning away the very people who help make Ohio a leader in research, innovation, and healthcare.'
Following the hearing, committee chairwoman Cindy Abrams reportedly announced the bill would be amended before advancing further. One possible change would exempt green card holders, but many attendees said that would not go far enough.
Xin Yuan, a green card holder and vice-president at JPMorgan Chase & Co in Columbus, warned that if the bill passed, it would send a message to the rest of the country and encourage other states to adopt similar legislation.
Yuan testified that her greatest concern was for her young son, who was born in Ohio and considered it home.
'My biggest fear when I had him was how to protect him,' she said. 'If we don't even have the basic right to have a home, what am I supposed to tell him – and how can I protect him?'
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