WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump on Thursday ordered the suspension of the federal green card lottery program following deadly shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, officials said.
The move targets the Diversity Immigrant Visa program, a long-criticized pathway to permanent residency that Trump and other conservatives have argued undermines immigration controls and national security.
Program Put on Hold
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said the administration paused the lottery at the president’s direction after learning the suspect in the shootings had obtained his green card through the program.
“This individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem said, calling the case a failure of the existing system.
The suspension takes immediate effect, though officials did not say how long it would last.
Suspect’s Immigration History
Authorities have identified the suspect as Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national. Investigators say Valente killed two Brown University students and an MIT professor and nuclear physicist in connected shootings before being found dead of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to federal officials, Valente first entered the United States decades ago on a student visa. He later obtained permanent residency in 2017 through the Diversity Visa lottery.
The shootings have shaken both campuses and renewed scrutiny of how immigration programs vet applicants.
Investigators explained during a Providence press conference how they tracked Valente to a secluded storage facility.
As MassLive reports:
The investigation was cracked, according to Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha, when a witness came forward to detail an altercation he had with the suspect on the day of the Brown shooting. From that person’s description, police were able to confirm the shooter’s car, a gray Nissan Sentra with Florida plates, which they then tracked to a rental car agency in Boston.
Neves Valente had used his real name and financial information to rent the car on Dec. 1, allowing investigators to begin tracking his financial movements.
Through those records, investigators discovered Neves Valente had rented the storage unit in Salem in November.
A heavy police presence descended upon the storage facility Thursday night, where they found Neves Valente dead of a self-inflicted gunshot.
What the Lottery Does
The Diversity Immigrant Visa program was created by Congress and offers up to 50,000 green cards each year through a random lottery. It is open to applicants from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.
Supporters say the program promotes diversity and opportunity. Critics, including Trump, have long argued it relies too heavily on chance and lacks sufficient security screening.
The lottery has been a frequent target of conservative lawmakers and immigration hard-liners, particularly after past crimes involving recipients of the program.
Legal Questions Ahead
Legal experts and immigrant rights advocates say the administration could face court challenges. Because Congress established the program by statute, critics argue the president may not have the authority to suspend it unilaterally.
Others warn against tying a single criminal case to a broader immigration policy, saying it risks conflating lawful entry with criminal behavior.
Why It Matters
The suspension marks one of the most sweeping immigration actions of Trump’s presidency. It revives a core conservative argument against the green card lottery and links it directly to public safety and national security concerns following a high-profile crime.
Whether the pause holds up in court — and whether it becomes permanent — could shape the future of one of the country’s most debated immigration programs.
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