US DV Green Card Lottery Suspended After Shootings: What it Means
DV Green Card Lottery
19th December 2025, Kathmandu
US Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the immediate pause of the program via a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
DV Green Card Lottery
Secretary Noem specifically cited the recent tragic events at Brown University. She revealed that the individual suspected of carrying out the shooting had gained entry to the US through the Diversity Visa Program eight years prior.
“This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem wrote. She stressed the program had become a security loophole that jeopardized national safety.
She has already instructed the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pause the lottery. The administration is now actively evaluating the future of the decades-old program.
Tragic Link to Campus Violence
The temporary suspension is a direct response to the deadly campus shootings.
The individual, identified as a Portuguese national, allegedly killed two students and wounded nine others at Brown University before fatally shooting an MIT professor.
Authorities confirmed the suspect’s immigration history, noting he obtained his legal permanent residence status (Green Card) through the DV Program in 2017.
President Trump has long opposed the Diversity Visa Lottery. He has consistently argued it undermines border security and admits immigrants without sufficient criteria or a merit-based system.
Advertisement
His administration tried to terminate the program earlier in his term following a 2017 New York City terrorist attack, which was also carried out by a DV Program recipient. The current tragedy has provided a renewed impetus for this executive action.
What is the Diversity Visa Green Card Lottery?
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, widely known as the DV Green Card Lottery, was established by Congress in 1990. Its main purpose is to diversify the immigrant population in the United States.
Annual Quota: It offers up to 50,000 Green Cards annually. Selection Process: Recipients are chosen via a random lottery from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S. Eligibility: Countries with high immigration numbers, such as India, China, Mexico, and the Philippines, are typically ineligible.
Millions of people apply each year, viewing it as a relatively straightforward and legal pathway to permanent residency. For the 2025 lottery, nearly 20 million individuals submitted applications.
More than 131,000 applicants, including spouses and dependents, were selected. Even after selection, winners must still undergo a stringent security and immigration vetting process before a visa is granted.
Implications for Applicants and the Future of US Immigration
The suspension creates immediate uncertainty for those who have already applied or were selected for the 2026 or pending 2027 lotteries. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has not yet specified the duration of the pause or its precise impact on current applicants.
The legality of the suspension is already being questioned. Critics and legal experts point out that the program was established by Congress. Therefore, a full suspension or termination would typically require legislative action, not just a presidential directive. This policy change is highly likely to face swift legal challenges in federal courts.
The administration’s move is the latest in a series of actions aimed at tightening both legal and illegal immigration pathways. The current action signals a broadening focus on legal migration programs perceived as security risks. For the time being, the DV Green Card Lottery—a vital avenue for many looking to build a new life in the US—remains closed.
For more: DV Green Card Lottery
