New Delhi, December 19: US President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate suspension of the Diversity Visa Programme, commonly known as the "green card lottery", following revelations that the suspect in recent fatal shootings at Brown University and MIT entered the country through the system. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, on December 19, announced the directive on Thursday, confirming she has instructed the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to pause the green card lottery programme.

The decision is aimed at preventing further security risks posed by what the administration described as a "disastrous" immigration route. The suspension follows a week of tragedy in the Northeast. Authorities identified the suspect as Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national who was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Thursday evening.

Valente is suspected of killing two students and wounding nine others during a lecture hall shooting at Brown University on Saturday, as well as fatally shooting an MIT physics professor at his home two days later. According to Department of Homeland Security records, Valente originally entered the U.S. on a student visa in 2000 but secured a green card in 2017 through the diversity lottery. Donald Trump Launches USD 1 Million โ€˜Gold Cardโ€™ Programme Offering Pathway to US Citizenship (Watch Video).

Donald Trump Suspendsย US Green Card Lottery Programme

What Isย Green Card Lottery Programme orย Diversity Visa Programme?

Established by Congress, the diversity lottery provides up to 50,000 green cards annually to individuals from countries with historically low rates of immigration to the United States.

The program is designed to diversify the immigrant population, frequently benefiting applicants from African and European nations. For the 2025 cycle, nearly 20 million people applied for the lottery, with roughly 131,000 selected to proceed to the vetting and interview stage.

Should Indian Techies andย Immigrants Be Worried?

While the suspension represents a significant shift in US immigration policy, its direct impact on Indian nationals is expected to be minimal. Under existing rules, the lottery excludes countries that have sent more than 50,000 immigrants to the US over the previous five years.

Because India consistently exceeds this threshold - with over 127,000 Indians immigrating in 2022 alone - Indian citizens have been ineligible for the lottery for several years. Current data from the Department of Homeland Security suggests India would have remained ineligible until at least 2028. What Is the Warrior Dividend? Who Will Receive It and When? Everything to Know About the USD 1,776 Christmas 2025 Bonus for US Military Personnel.

Shrinking Paths to Permanent Residency

Despite their ineligibility for the lottery, the broader crackdown on immigration under the Trump administration is creating uncertainty for the Indian community. With the lottery route closed for all, the focus shifts to other pathways such as H-1B visa conversions, family sponsorships, and investment-based migration.

However, as the administration implements stricter vetting and reduces various immigration quotas, legal experts warn that these alternative avenues are also narrowing, impacting both prospective migrants and U.S. employers who rely on high-skilled foreign labor.

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TruLY Score 5 โ€“ Trustworthy | On a Trust Scale of 0-5 this article has scored 5 on LatestLY. It is verified through official sources (Official X Account of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem). The information is thoroughly cross-checked and confirmed. You can confidently share this article with your friends and family, knowing it is trustworthy and reliable.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Dec 19, 2025 12:16 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).