Trump Halts Green Card Lottery Amid Controversy Over Recent Shootings

In a significant policy shift, President Donald Trump has suspended the green card lottery program, which previously allowed a suspect involved in recent shootings at Brown University and MIT to enter the United States. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision, emphasizing that such individuals should not have been permitted entry. The diversity visa program, which offers 50,000 green cards annually through a lottery, aims to provide opportunities for individuals from underrepresented countries, particularly in Africa. With nearly 20 million applicants for the 2025 lottery, the implications of this suspension are far-reaching. Read on to explore the details of this controversial decision.

By Narendra Chaudhary Dec 19, 2025, 12:05 IST

Suspension of the Diversity Visa Program

Washington: President Donald Trump announced the suspension of the green card lottery program on Thursday, a move that follows the involvement of a suspect in the recent shootings at Brown University and MIT.

Kristi Noem, the Secretary of Homeland Security, shared on the social media platform X that she is acting on Trump's orders to halt the program managed by the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services.

She stated, “This despicable individual should never have been permitted entry into our nation.”

The diversity visa program allocates up to 50,000 green cards annually through a lottery system aimed at individuals from underrepresented countries, particularly in Africa.

For the 2025 lottery, nearly 20 million applicants entered, with over 131,000 selected when including spouses of winners. However, selected individuals must still pass a vetting process to gain entry into the U.S.