Hegseth Pledges Crackdown On Foreign Land Buys Near U.S. Military Bases

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth is vowing to investigate and block foreign entities especially those tied to U.S. adversaries from purchasing land near American military installations, calling the practice a direct threat to national security.

“I want to know who owns the land around our bases and strategic bases, and why foreign entities might be buying it,” Hegseth said Tuesday. “It’s common sense. Food security, energy resilience, water access that’s all national security, especially in a contingency. No longer can foreign adversaries assume we’re not watching and we’re not doing something, because we are.”

The Pentagon is now working with the Department of Agriculture and the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS) to identify and shut down high-risk real estate acquisitions. Congressional Republicans have introduced companion bills to halt such purchases outright.

Legislative efforts include:

• Military Installation Retail Security Act (Rep. Pat Harrigan, R-NC) bans companies owned by enemy nations from operating retail outlets on U.S. bases.

• Protect Our Bases Act (Sen. Tim Scott, R-SC) requires CFIUS to annually review sensitive U.S. facilities and property for potential foreign real estate threats.

• NC Farmland and Military Protection Act bars foreign governments from buying land within 25 miles of North Carolina military installations, with a House proposal to expand that to 75 miles.

North Carolina’s economy illustrates the stakes, with agriculture generating $111 billion annually and the military contributing $80 billion while supporting over 650,000 jobs. Lawmakers warn that hostile governments could use nearby farmland to stage surveillance equipment, drones, or otherwise disrupt operations.

The issue gained national attention in 2023 when residents of Grand Forks, North Dakota, blocked a Chinese company, Fufeng Group, from building a corn mill just 12 miles from a sensitive Air Force base. The Air Force had labeled the proposed $700 million facility a “significant threat to national security,” even though CFIUS determined it lacked jurisdiction to stop the deal.

Hegseth’s remarks signal the Trump administration’s intent to take a far more aggressive approach, using both military and civilian authorities to prevent foreign encroachment. “We would be asleep at the wheel if we weren’t fully engaged in protecting our bases and our troops,” he said.

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