Suspension of Green Card Lottery Following Brown University Tragedy

Fri Dec 19 2025 14:33:40 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In response to a recent mass shooting at Brown University, President Donald Trump has halted the green card lottery scheme that allowed the shooter entry into the US.

Following a tragic shooting incident at Brown University, where two students were killed, President Trump has suspended the green card lottery program. The suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, had entered the US through this diversity visa program. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem stated that the program was paused to prevent further harm to American citizens. The shootings have highlighted discussions around immigration policies and safety measures.

President Donald Trump has suspended the US green card lottery scheme in the wake of a mass shooting at Brown University last week in which two people were killed.

The suspect, a Portuguese man who was found dead on Thursday, entered the country through the diversity lottery immigrant visa programme (DV1) in 2017 and was granted a green card.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she has paused the visa scheme under Trump's direction to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous programme.

US officials said they believe the suspect, 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, also killed Portuguese Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno Loureiro earlier this week.

The programme allows for up to 50,000 visas to be granted each year through a random selection process from countries with low rates of immigration to the US.

Noem emphasized that Trump had previously fought to end the programme following another tragedy linked to the previous lottery entrant Sayfullo Saipov, who was involved in an attack in New York City.

Valente was reported missing shortly before he was discovered dead with a firearm, prompting a manhunt. Officials linked him to the Brown University shooting through CCTV footage and witness testimonies.

Brown University President Christina Paxson confirmed Valente had previously studied at the institution and highlighted that recent incidents are raising urgent concerns about safety and immigration policies.