The Trump administration has moved to suspend the U.S. green card lottery, citing its alleged use by the individual accused in the fatal shooting at Brown University and murder of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor, according to Bloomberg.
Homeland Security orders pause on Diversity Visa Program
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced on X that she has instructed U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to temporarily halt the program, formally known as the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program. The lottery allows applicants from countries with historically low immigration rates to seek permanent residency in the U.S.
Suspect’s immigration status under scrutiny
U.S. officials previously identified the suspected gunman as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old citizen of Portugal and a former Brown University student. According to Noem, Valente received permanent resident status through the diversity visa lottery in 2017. Authorities later found him dead on Thursday in what appears to have been a suicide.
Broader immigration crackdown continues
The decision aligns with a wider effort by the administration to tighten immigration policies, particularly affecting applicants from developing countries. This follows a separate incident in Washington involving an Afghan national suspected of shooting two National Guard members. Additionally, the administration has proposed a $100,000 application fee for H-1B visas, a move that would significantly impact industries such as technology that rely heavily on skilled foreign workers.
