Trump Halts Green Card Lottery Amid Controversy Over Recent Shootings

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.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated on the social media platform X that she is implementing this pause on the program at Trump's request.

She emphasized, "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 visa lottery, nearly 20 million applicants vied for a chance, with over 131,000 selected when including spouses of winners. However, they must still pass a vetting process to gain entry into the United States.