Greencard Lottery: Trump’s Administration Suspends Diversity Visa Programmes for All Countries

• President Donald Trump suspended the diversity visa lottery programme on December 18, citing security concerns after the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings entered the United States through the scheme
• Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that the programme would be paused, describing the suspect as “heinous” and unfit to have been admitted
• The move marked the latest step in Trump’s broader push to restrict legal immigration, a policy shift expected to face legal challenges

President Donald Trump suspended the United States diversity visa lottery programme on December 18, halting a system that had allowed thousands of immigrants to apply for permanent residency.

The decision followed revelations that the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings had entered the country through the scheme.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the suspension in a post on X, stating that she had acted under Trump’s direction.

“This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” she said, referring to Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente.

Suspect linked to Brown and MIT shootings

According to NPR, officials reported that Neves Valente, 48, was suspected of killing two students and injuring nine others at Brown University, as well as fatally shooting a professor at MIT. He was later found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on December 18.

According to an affidavit from a Providence police detective, Neves Valente first arrived in the United States in 2000 on a student visa to study at Brown. He took a leave of absence in 2001, and his whereabouts remained unclear until 2017, when he was issued a diversity immigrant visa. Months later, he obtained legal permanent residence status.

How diversity visa lottery works

The diversity visa programme, created by Congress, makes up to 50,000 green cards available each year to applicants from countries with low levels of immigration to the United States. Many recipients come from African nations.

Nearly 20 million people applied for the 2025 lottery, with more than 131,000 selected when including spouses of winners. Portuguese citizens secured only 38 slots. Winners are invited to apply for a green card, undergo interviews at consulates, and face the same vetting requirements as other applicants.

Trump's visa ban: Legal challenges expected

The suspension of the programme is expected to trigger legal challenges, as the lottery is enshrined in law. Trump has long opposed the system, arguing it poses risks to national security.

Noem’s announcement marked the latest example of the administration using violent incidents to advance immigration policy. In November, after an Afghan man was identified as the gunman in a fatal attack on National Guard members, Trump imposed sweeping restrictions on immigration from Afghanistan and other countries.

The suspension formed part of Trump’s broader immigration agenda, which has included mass deportation plans and efforts to restrict legal immigration pathways. He has also challenged constitutional protections such as birthright citizenship. The Supreme Court recently agreed to hear his case on the matter.

Effect of US partial travel ban

Legit.ng earlier reported that when President Donald J. Trump announced the expanded travel Proclamation on December 16, Nigeria was among the countries placed under partial restrictions.

While the measure did not amount to a full entry ban, it introduced significant hurdles for Nigerians seeking to travel, study, or work in the United States.

According to White House, the restrictions were justified by Washington on grounds of national security, immigration enforcement, and concerns about vetting processes.

Proofreading by James Ojo, copy editor at Legit.ng.