US Green Card Lottery Suspended After Suspect in Fatal Shooting Linked to Program

The Trump administration has suspended the US Green Card lottery program. This decision followed revelations that the suspect in a fatal shooting at MIT, who also attended Brown University, had entered the United States through the program. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem announced her request to US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to halt the program, officially known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, via a post on X.

Suspect’s Link Prompts Green Card Program Suspension

US authorities identified Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese citizen and former Brown University student, as the shooter. Valente obtained his Green Card through the lottery program in 2017, according to Secretary Noem. His body was discovered on Thursday in what appeared to be a suicide. Secretary Noem stated in her post, “This heinous individual should never have been allowed into our country.” She added that the temporary suspension “will ensure no other American is harmed by this catastrophic program.”

Broader Immigration Policy Shifts Underway

The suspension of the Green Card lottery, which issues up to 50,000 visas annually, represents the latest action by the Trump administration to curb immigration. This move often follows violent incidents, which the administration attributes to what it calls lenient immigration policies. Previously, the Trump administration tightened immigration restrictions for most developing nations. This policy shift occurred after an Afghan citizen was suspected of shooting two National Guard soldiers in Washington. The administration also initiated a $100,000 fee for H-1B visa applications, typically sought by technology workers. For more details on H-1B visa changes, see this report on recent policy discussions. Furthermore, the administration adopted stringent immigration enforcement measures. Plans are advancing to significantly expand detention center capacities, potentially including the establishment of up to twenty “mega-centers” in warehouses across the country.