The U.S. Diversity Visa Lottery Program was halted Thursday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, following revelations that the Brown University and MIT shooter, Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, entered the country through the program in 2017.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
WASHINGTON — The Trump administration suspended the Diversity Visa Lottery Program on Wednesday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced, after confirming that the gunman responsible for the Brown University shooting and the murder of an MIT professor entered the U.S. through the program.
In a statement posted on X, Noem revealed that Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, the 48-year-old Portuguese national identified as the shooter, was admitted to the U.S. in 2017 via the DV1 program—commonly known as the green card lottery—and later received a green card.
“This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem said. “At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.”
The diversity visa program awards up to 50,000 immigrant visas annually to applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the U.S., selected through a random lottery system. To qualify, applicants must have a high school education or two years of work experience in certain occupations.
Noem noted that President Trump had previously sought to terminate the program during his first term, following the 2017 NYC truck attack by an ISIS-affiliated terrorist who entered the U.S. through the same program, killing eight people.
Valente, whose last known address was in Miami, Florida, was found dead in a New Hampshire storage facility on December 18 from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He is suspected of killing two Brown University students and wounding nine others on December 13, as well as fatally shooting MIT professor Nuno F.G. Loureiro in his Brookline, Massachusetts, home two days later. The motive remains unclear.
Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed that Valente briefly attended the school from fall 2000 to spring 2001 before withdrawing.
The suspension of the Diversity Visa Program follows a broader crackdown on immigration policies under the Trump administration. Last month, USCIS halted all asylum decisions after an Afghan national, who entered the U.S. in 2021 through a Biden-era resettlement program, allegedly shot two National Guard members in Washington on November 26.
Trump has also called for suspending federal benefits for noncitizens, denaturalizing immigrants who threaten domestic security, and deporting foreigners deemed “a public charge, security risk, or incompatible with Western civilization.”
The administration’s decision to pause the green card lottery reflects growing concerns over national security risks tied to immigration programs, particularly in the wake of high-profile violent incidents. Critics of the program argue that its random selection process lacks sufficient vetting, while supporters contend it provides opportunities for underrepresented groups.
As the investigation into Valente’s actions continues, the suspension of the Diversity Visa Program marks a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy—one that prioritizes security over accessibility in the aftermath of tragedy.
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