The United States government has suspended its green card lottery program, formally known as the Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, after a suspect in fatal shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology was found to have entered the country through the program, senior officials said Friday.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that, at the direction of President Donald Trump, the Department of Homeland Security has ordered the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pause the diversity visa lottery program immediately. The program, created by Congress decades ago, annually grants up to 50,000 green cards to applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
Noem said in a post on the social media platform X that the suspect, 48‑year‑old Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente, 'should never have been allowed in our country', a remark reflecting broad criticism by Trump and his allies of the lottery system.
Valente entered the United States in 2017 under the green card lottery program and later became a permanent resident. He is suspected of carrying out two deadly attacks that shook college communities in New England earlier this month.
In one incident at Brown University, two students were killed and nine others were wounded during a classroom shooting. Days later, Valente is suspected of fatally shooting an MIT professor at his Massachusetts home. He was later found dead of a self‑inflicted gunshot wound in New Hampshire during a manhunt.
The diversity visa program was designed to foster immigration diversity by allowing people from countries with relatively low rates of U.S. immigration to gain lawful permanent residency through a randomized selection process. Although winners are subject to interviews, background checks, and other standard vetting, critics say the system poses security risks. Supporters contend these safeguards are robust and that the program contributes meaningfully to U.S. society.
In announcing the suspension, Noem and other Trump administration officials cited concerns about national security and the integrity of the immigration system. They said the pause will remain in place while the government reviews the program's procedures and eligibility standards.
The suspension marks one of the most significant changes to legal immigration policy under the Trump administration since it took office. The lottery has been a longstanding pathway for many aspiring immigrants around the world, and its discontinuation could spark legal challenges from civil liberties groups and immigration advocates.
Critics of the program have pointed to the recent shootings as evidence that the system's vetting process can fail, while supporters argue that isolated incidents should not lead to dismantling broad legal immigration avenues. As the country grapples with rising concerns about gun violence and immigration policy, the suspension adds a new dimension to the ongoing national debate.
Trump, a long‑time opponent of the diversity visa lottery, has repeatedly sought restrictions on legal immigration and has previously cited tragic cases to call for tighter border controls and policy reforms.
Rania Umutoni
