US suspends green card lottery after campus shooting
World
The decision follows shooting incidents at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology
WASHINGTON (Web Desk) - The United States has announced the suspension of the green card lottery, officially known as the Diversity Visa Program, on the orders of President Donald Trump.
The announcement was made by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
The decision follows shooting incidents at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).
According to US authorities, the suspect in the shootings was Claudio Neves Valiente, a Portuguese national who initially arrived in the United States in 2000 on a student visa and later obtained a green card in 2017.
Police said the suspect died by suicide after shooting himself on Thursday evening.
In a statement, Kristi Noem said, “This individual should never have been allowed to enter the United States,” alleging that the green card lottery program enabled such individuals to come to the country.
President Donald Trump has previously opposed the Diversity Visa Lottery Program.
Critics argue that the recent incident is being used as a pretext to further tighten immigration policies.
Under the Diversity Visa Program, approximately 50,000 individuals are granted US permanent residency each year through a lottery system.
The program is aimed at applicants from countries with historically low levels of immigration to the United States. However, selected candidates are required to undergo extensive background checks and interviews before being granted a green card.
