Wayne Lumbasi
U.S. President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate suspension of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the green card lottery, following a deadly shooting at Brown University that has shaken the nation and reignited debate over immigration and security.
The decision comes after authorities confirmed that the suspect linked to the Brown University attack and a subsequent fatal shooting involving a university professor in Massachusetts entered the United States legally through the diversity visa program several years ago. The administration says the move is aimed at preventing similar tragedies and tightening scrutiny over who is allowed to settle permanently in the country.
Announcing the suspension, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the president acted swiftly after being briefed on the suspect’s immigration history. She described the incident as a “catastrophic failure” of the current system, arguing that the lottery-based visa program prioritizes chance over safety. “The American people deserve an immigration system that puts security first,” Noem said.
The shootings, which unfolded over several days, sent shockwaves across university campuses and communities in the northeastern United States. At Brown University, gunfire left students dead and others injured, triggering lockdowns and a massive manhunt. Days later, a professor was shot and killed in a nearby Massachusetts town, intensifying fears before authorities eventually located the suspect deceased.
The Diversity Immigrant Visa program allows up to 50,000 people each year to obtain permanent residency through a random lottery, targeting applicants from countries with low levels of immigration to the U.S. While participants must still pass background checks and interviews, critics have long argued that the system lacks the rigor of merit-based immigration pathways.
Trump has been a vocal opponent of the program for years, repeatedly calling for its abolition and labeling it a threat to national security. During his previous term, he pushed Congress to replace the lottery with a skills-based system, but those efforts stalled. The latest suspension marks the most decisive action yet against the program since his return to office.
As investigations into the shootings continue, the future of the green card lottery now hangs in the balance, with the administration signaling that broader immigration reforms may soon follow. For millions of hopeful applicants around the world, the suspension represents a sudden and uncertain halt to one of the most accessible legal pathways to life in the United States.
UNITED STATES IMMIGRATION NEWS
DIPLOMATIC TENSIONS GROW AS U.S. CHALLENGES SOUTH AFRICA’S AFRIKANER REFUGEE PLAN
U.S. PAUSES IMMIGRATION APPLICATIONS FROM 19 NON-EUROPEAN COUNTRIES
TRUMP VOWS TO PERMANENTLY PAUSE MIGRATION FROM ‘THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES’
