President Donald Trump has ordered a suspension of the diversity visa lottery program, a move that comes in the wake of the recent shootings at Brown University and MIT. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision Thursday on social media platform X, stating that U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services has been directed to pause the program.

The directive follows the identification of Claudio Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, as the suspect in the violent incidents. Valente, 48, is accused of killing two students and wounding nine others at Brown University, and of murdering an MIT professor. He was found deceased on Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to officials.

Valente had obtained legal permanent resident status in the United States in 2017. U.S. attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley confirmed this detail, highlighting a critical point in the immigration process that allowed him entry. This revelation has fueled the administration’s push to re-evaluate and restrict immigration pathways.

The diversity visa program, established by Congress, allocates up to 50,000 green cards annually through a lottery system. It aims to provide opportunities for individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, with a significant portion of recipients often coming from African nations. The program’s future is now uncertain, and legal challenges are anticipated.

For the 2025 visa lottery, nearly 20 million individuals applied, with over 131,000 selected as potential winners, including spouses. Winners are then required to undergo a rigorous vetting process, including interviews at consulates, to secure admission to the U.S. Portuguese citizens, for instance, were awarded only 38 slots in the program.

This suspension marks the latest instance of the Trump administration leveraging tragic events to advance its immigration policy objectives. Previously, following an attack on National Guard members, sweeping immigration restrictions were imposed on individuals from Afghanistan and other nations. Trump has consistently advocated for limiting or eliminating avenues for legal immigration, often disregarding established laws and constitutional principles.

Read Original

Keywords: Trump green card lottery, diversity visa program, campus shootings suspect, Kristi Noem immigration, Brown University MIT shootings, Claudio Neves Valente, immigration policy, legal permanent residence