Republican Rep. Keith Self has introduced legislation to permanently repeal the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program after a federal judge ordered the Trump administration to restart the immigration lottery.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Rep. Keith Self, R-Texas, introduced legislation Thursday, Oct. 22, to eliminate the federal Diversity Immigrant Visa Program, commonly known as the green card lottery, following a court ruling requiring the Trump administration to resume the program.
The proposal would repeal the congressionally authorized immigration program, which makes up to 55,000 immigrant visas available annually to eligible applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
According to Just the News, Self announced the legislation after a federal judge in California ordered the State Department to reopen registration for the diversity visa lottery, challenging the administration’s efforts to suspend the program.
“We cannot allow activist judges to dictate our immigration policy,” Self said in a statement accompanying the legislation.
“The American people elected Donald Trump and this Republican Congress to put America first. That means securing our borders and ending failed immigration policies. We cannot allow liberal judges to force the administration to continue a failed immigration program.”
The Diversity Immigrant Visa Program was established by Congress through the Immigration Act of 1990 to provide permanent residency opportunities for people from countries that send relatively few immigrants to the United States.
Applicants enter an annual lottery administered by the State Department. Those selected must still meet eligibility requirements, undergo background checks and complete the immigration application process before receiving permanent residency.
Selection in the lottery does not automatically guarantee a visa or admission to the United States.
The Trump administration moved to suspend the program in December 2025 following a shooting at Brown University and the killing of a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor.
Authorities identified the suspect as a Portuguese national who had entered the United States through the diversity visa program.
Administration officials argued that the incident raised national security concerns about the lottery’s screening procedures.
In an August 31 advisory, the State Department announced that diversity visa issuance would remain suspended while officials reviewed screening and identity-verification procedures.
The department said applicants could continue submitting applications and attending interviews, but no diversity visas would be issued during the pause.
Officials said the review would examine whether existing procedures adequately verify applicants’ identities, immigration eligibility and potential national security risks.
The suspension subsequently faced legal challenges because the lottery was created by federal statute, limiting the executive branch’s authority to eliminate it without congressional approval.
On Oct. 14, U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta issued a preliminary injunction requiring the administration to resume the lottery’s registration process.
The federal court decision followed a lawsuit challenging the State Department’s failure to open registration for the fiscal year 2027 program.
Under the revised schedule, federal officials must announce registration dates by Oct. 29 and begin accepting entries by Nov. 1.
The ruling did not resolve the broader political debate over whether the diversity visa program should continue.
Self’s legislation seeks to address that question through Congress by removing the program’s statutory authorization rather than relying on executive action.
Republican lawmakers have repeatedly proposed eliminating the lottery, arguing that immigration decisions should prioritize national security, employment qualifications and other considerations rather than random selection.
President Trump has previously advocated replacing portions of the existing immigration system with policies giving greater weight to professional skills and economic contributions.
A separate proposal introduced in September by Arizona Republican Rep. David Schweikert, the SMARTER Act, would also eliminate the diversity visa program while establishing a skills-based immigration points system and changing family-sponsored immigration categories.
Supporters of the lottery maintain that it provides a lawful immigration pathway for applicants who may not qualify through employment sponsorship or family relationships.
In June, Rep. Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., introduced legislation intended to protect the program from indefinite administrative suspension and strengthen congressional oversight.
Clarke argued that the lottery broadens opportunities for lawful immigration and that the executive branch should administer programs authorized by Congress.
The competing proposals demonstrate continuing disagreements over the direction of U.S. immigration policy, particularly the extent to which admission should depend on employment qualifications, family relationships or geographic diversity.
Self’s legislation has not become law, and its introduction does not immediately alter eligibility for the diversity visa program.
Repealing the lottery would require passage by both chambers of Congress and the president’s signature, unless Congress overcame a presidential veto.
The proposal comes less than two weeks before the Nov. 3 midterm elections, when immigration enforcement, border security and legal immigration policy remain prominent issues in congressional campaigns.
For now, the federal court’s order requires the administration to proceed with reopening the registration process, while Self and other Republican lawmakers pursue legislation to permanently end the program.
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