President Donald Trump has ordered the suspension of the United States green card lottery programme, citing security concerns following recent university shootings.
The directive was announced on Friday by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem during a news briefing. Noem said the programme was used by the suspect linked to shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to enter the United States.
The programme, officially known as the Diversity Visa Immigrant Programme (DV1), grants up to 50,000 green cards each year through a lottery system aimed at increasing immigration from underrepresented countries.
According to official figures, nearly 20 million people applied for the programme in 2025, with about 131,000 selected for further processing. Successful applicants are then required to undergo background checks and consular interviews before receiving permanent residency.
Noem said the administration believes the programme poses security risks, arguing that it allowed individuals who later became involved in violent crimes to settle in the country.
“The heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” Noem wrote in a post on X following the announcement.
Oscar Perez, police chief in Providence, Rhode Island, confirmed that the university shooting suspect, identified as Claudio Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, first entered the United States on a student visa in 2000. He later obtained permanent residency in 2017. Valente was found dead on Thursday evening from what authorities described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Trump has long criticised the green card lottery, arguing that immigration should be based on merit rather than chance. The suspension aligns with his broader immigration agenda, which has frequently tightened entry rules following high-profile crimes.
This is not the first time the administration has cited violent incidents to justify immigration restrictions. In November, after an Afghan national was identified as the suspect in a fatal attack on National Guard members, the Trump administration introduced stricter immigration rules affecting Afghanistan and several other countries.
Data from the 2025 DV1 programme show that Portuguese citizens received only 38 lottery slots, highlighting the relatively small number of beneficiaries from the country.
Under the lottery system, selected applicants are invited to apply for permanent residency and must meet the same eligibility, security and medical requirements as other green card applicants.
