President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate suspension of the US green card lottery programme, a move directly linked to the suspect in the recent shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
Visa Programme Paused Following Tragedy
The directive came from Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who announced via social media that she was ordering US Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the diversity visa programme. The action was taken at President Trump's direction. Noem stated the suspected gunman, Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, "should never have been allowed in our country."
Neves Valente is suspected of carrying out the attack at Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island, which resulted in the deaths of two students and left nine others wounded. He is also suspected of killing a professor at MIT. Officials confirmed he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on the evening of Thursday, 18 December 2025.
The US attorney for Massachusetts, Leah B. Foley, confirmed that Neves Valente had obtained his legal permanent resident status, commonly known as a green card, in the year 2017.
How the Diversity Visa Lottery Works
The controversial programme, created by an act of Congress, makes up to 50,000 green cards available annually through a random lottery. It is designed for applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States, with many successful applicants coming from African nations.
The process is highly competitive. For the 2025 visa lottery, nearly 20 million people applied. Just over 131,000 individuals were selected, a figure which includes the spouses of primary winners. Winning the initial lottery only grants the chance to apply; all applicants must then pass rigorous vetting and interviews at US consulates before being granted admission. In the latest draw, citizens of Portugal secured only 38 slots.
Policy Shift and Legal Challenges Ahead
This suspension represents the latest instance where the Trump administration has used a tragic event to advance its immigration policy goals. Following a fatal attack on National Guard members in November 2025 by an Afghan national, the administration imposed sweeping restrictions on immigration from Afghanistan and other countries.
President Trump has long been a vocal opponent of the diversity visa lottery. His administration's broader strategy has focused not only on mass deportation efforts but also on curtailing pathways to legal immigration. This approach has extended to challenging policies enshrined in law, such as this lottery, and even constitutional principles like birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court has recently agreed to hear the administration's challenge to the latter.
As the diversity visa programme was established by Congress, the executive order to suspend it is almost certain to face legal challenges. The move reignites the fierce national debate over immigration, security, and the mechanisms by which the United States welcomes new residents.
