WASHINGTON D.C., United States — The United States government has announced an immediate suspension of the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (commonly known as the Green Card Lottery) following revelations that the suspect in the recent deadly shooting at Brown University entered the country through the system.
The decision, ordered by President Donald Trump, comes amid an intensive federal investigation into how the suspect, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, obtained legal permanent residency despite a history of intermittent presence in the country.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem confirmed the pause late Thursday, citing the need to review the program’s vetting processes. Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, was granted a diversity visa in 2017.
Also Read: US introduces $1 fee for Diversity Visa lottery registration starting October 2025
In a statement released on X (formerly Twitter), Secretary Noem expressed the administration’s firm stance:
“This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country.”
The Secretary added that the directive to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pause the DV-1 program is intended to prevent further security risks while the administration evaluates the “disastrous” nature of the lottery system.
Details of the attacks and investigation
Valente is the primary suspect in a violent spree that began on December 13 at Brown University’s Barus & Holley building.
- Brown University: Two students, identified as Ella Cook and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, were killed, while nine others were injured.
- MIT connection: Investigators also believe Valente was responsible for the fatal shooting of MIT physics professor Nuno Loureiro in Brookline, Massachusetts, just two days later.
Following a six-day multi-state manhunt, authorities tracked Valente to a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire, where he was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday evening.
| Date | Event |
| August 2000 | Valente enters the US on an F-1 student visa for Brown University. |
| April 2001 | Valente takes a leave of absence; whereabouts become unclear for years. |
| Sept 2017 | Valente is issued a Diversity Immigrant Visa and becomes a permanent resident. |
| Dec 13, 2025 | Shooting at Brown University leaves 2 dead and 9 wounded. |
| Dec 15, 2025 | MIT Professor Nuno Loureiro is killed in Brookline, MA. |
| Dec 18, 2025 | Suspect found dead; DHS announces suspension of the DV program. |
Regional impact and legal future
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program is a cornerstone of U.S. immigration for many nations, providing up to 50,000 visas annually to applicants from countries with low migration rates.
- Impact on Africa: Countries like Kenya, Uganda, and Ethiopia are among the highest beneficiaries of the lottery. The sudden pause is expected to stall thousands of active applications and “winners” currently undergoing the final vetting stages at U.S. embassies.
- Political debate: While the Trump administration has long criticized the lottery as a “national security threat,” the program was established by Congress. Legal experts anticipate significant court challenges, arguing that the executive branch lacks the authority to unilaterally abolish a legislatively mandated program.
The Department of State has not yet clarified if individuals who have already been selected for DV-2025 or DV-2026 will be allowed to proceed with their interviews.
For now, all processing related to the lottery has been halted until further notice.
