Trump Suspends Diversity Visa Lottery After Brown University Shooter Entered via Program

On Thursday, President Donald Trump halted the U.S. diversity visa lottery, the program that had allowed the suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings to obtain a green card. The decision, announced by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on X, comes after the suspect, Portuguese national Claudio Neves Valente, was found dead Thursday evening from a self‑inflicted gunshot wound.

The Suspension

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem posted on the social platform X that, following Trump’s directive, she is ordering the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services to pause the diversity visa lottery program. She added, “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country,” referring to Claudio Neves Valente.

The pause applies to the diversity visa lottery (DV1) that grants up to 50,000 green cards each year to applicants from countries underrepresented in the United States. The move is expected to face legal challenges, as the program was established by Congress and is protected by existing immigration statutes.

The Suspect and His Background

Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, 48, is suspected of the shootings at Brown University that killed two students and wounded nine others, as well as the killing of an MIT professor. He entered the United States through the diversity lottery program in 2017 and was granted a green card. U.S. attorney for Massachusetts Leah B. Foley confirmed that he obtained legal permanent residence status in 2017.

Valente was discovered dead Thursday evening from a self‑inflicted gunshot wound, according to officials. His death followed the discovery of his involvement in the violent attacks, which have drawn national attention.

The Diversity Visa Program

The diversity visa program is designed to diversify the U.S. immigrant population. Each year it awards up to 50,000 green cards to applicants from countries that historically send few immigrants to the United States. Many of the eligible countries are in Africa.

Nearly 20 million people applied for the 2025 visa lottery, and more than 131,000 were selected when spouses of winners were included. Portuguese citizens won only 38 slots. Winners are invited to apply for a green card, are interviewed at consulates, and must meet the same requirements and undergo the same vetting as other green‑card applicants.

Political Context and Legal Implications

Trump has long opposed the diversity visa lottery. Noem’s announcement is the latest example of using a tragedy to advance immigration policy goals. Earlier in the year, after an Afghan man was identified as the gunman in a fatal attack on National Guard members, the Trump administration imposed sweeping rules against immigration from Afghanistan and other countries.

While pursuing mass deportation, Trump has sought to limit or eliminate avenues to legal immigration, even when those avenues are enshrined in law or the Constitution. His administration has not been deterred by legal challenges, as demonstrated by the Supreme Court’s recent decision to hear his challenge to birthright citizenship.

Key Takeaways

• President Trump suspended the diversity visa lottery program on Thursday.
• The decision follows the death of Claudio Neves Valente, a suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings who entered the U.S. through the program in 2017.
• The move is expected to trigger legal challenges and reflects Trump’s broader strategy of limiting legal immigration pathways.

The suspension marks a significant shift in U.S. immigration policy, potentially affecting thousands of future applicants and setting the stage for a high‑profile legal battle over the diversity visa lottery’s constitutionality and congressional authority.