The Department of Homeland Security introduced its intention to pause a visa program supposed to confess sure people to the United States, although it’s unclear whether or not it’s been suspended fully.
The transfer comes after the suspect in the Brown University capturing was recognized as a green-card holder who immigrated to the nation via the program. It’s the newest try by the administration to broadly tighten the US immigration system following home incidents.
“At President (Donald) Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program,” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on X late Thursday. DHS oversees the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).
Claudio Neves Valente, the suspect in Saturday’s capturing at Brown University who is additionally accused of killing a Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor on Monday, was discovered lifeless Thursday evening.
Valente was recognized as a 48-year-old former Brown University pupil and Portuguese nationwide. Noem stated Thursday that he got here to the United States in 2017 on a DV1 visa and acquired a inexperienced card.
The State Department runs the diversity visa program, which is designed for people in nations which can be decided by a method to have a low sufficient stage of immigration to the US. Those who arrive to the US beneath the program are additionally issued inexperienced playing cards. The issuance of these inexperienced playing cards is dealt with by DHS.
The bulk of the program falls beneath the State Department, which might presumably be charged with pausing the program. It’s unclear what path Noem may present, apart from pausing the issuance of inexperienced playing cards for these in the program.
“The horrific incidents this week demonstrate the threat the diversity visa program poses to American security and safety, which President Trump has long worked to fix. The Department of State is working closely with Department of Homeland Security to put in place all necessary measures to protect America from this threat,” a State Department spokesperson stated in an announcement.
NCS additionally reached out to the Department of Homeland Security for extra particulars.
The diversity visa program has lengthy been a goal of President Donald Trump’s ire — he took goal at it throughout his first time period after an Uzbek nationwide who was a recipient of the program was suspected of killing eight individuals in a terrorist assault in New York City.
At the time, Trump backed a Republican-led effort to eradicate the diversity visa program and sure classes of family-based inexperienced playing cards, and then rework the remaining employment-based visas into some extent system that favors closely extremely expert, extremely educated, English-speaking immigrants.
The diversity visa program presents inexperienced playing cards for individuals “from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States,” in accordance with the State Department web site.
The US admits as much as 55,000 immigrants annually as a part of the program via random choice. The nationalities who’ve come via the program have evolved over the years. According to federal data, most of the members in fiscal yr 2026 had been from Africa, adopted by nationals from Asia and Europe.
Those who enter the US on a diversity visa are required to have accomplished the equal of highschool schooling or “two years of work experience within the past five years in an occupation that requires at least two years of training or experience to perform.”
While people are chosen for visas randomly, they nonetheless should meet safety and eligibility necessities that every one immigrants should clear to acquire their visas.
In some instances, individuals already in the United States may apply for the diversity visa program.
“DV lottery winners who are already legally residing in the United States must apply through USCIS to adjust their status to permanent residence,” stated Jeremy McKinney, an immigration legal professional. “(State Department) not only administers the lottery but also issues the immigrant visas.”
Thursday’s announcement marks the newest escalation in the Trump administration’s ramped up immigration crackdown in current weeks.
Following the capturing of two National Guard members by an Afghan nationwide late final month, the administration took several steps to curb authorized immigration, together with reexamination of inexperienced playing cards issued to individuals from 19 nations of concern and the pause of all asylum selections.
Earlier this week, Trump signed a proclamation increasing the record of nations with full or partial journey restrictions to 39, rising from the earlier record of 19 nations.