Us suspends diversity visa lottery after campus killings
CONNECTICUT-The United States has suspended the Diversity Visa lottery program following a deadly shooting at Brown University. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced that she paused the DV1 program at the direction of President Donald Trump, saying the move is intended to prevent further harm linked to the system.
Authorities identified the suspected gunman as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48‑year‑old Portuguese national who entered the United States in 2017 through the diversity visa program and later received a green card. He is accused of killing two Brown University students, injuring several others, and fatally shooting an MIT professor earlier in the week. Valente was later found dead from what officials believe was a self‑inflicted gunshot wound.
The Diversity Visa Program provides more than 50,000 immigrant visas each year to applicants from countries with low immigration rates to the United States. Winners are selected randomly but must meet education, background, and security requirements before receiving permanent residency.
The suspension takes effect immediately as federal agencies halt processing under the DV1 category while the program undergoes review.