U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday announced the suspension of the Green Card lottery program, a scheme that allows thousands of foreigners each year—including many Africans—to legally live and work in the United States.
The decision follows deadly shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), allegedly carried out by a Portuguese national who entered the U.S. through the diversity visa program.
U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said in a post on the social media platform X that, acting on President Trump’s direct orders, she has instructed the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) to immediately pause the lottery.
“This individual should never have been allowed to enter the United States,” Noem said, referring to the suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, a Portuguese citizen.
The 48-year-old suspect is accused of killing two students and injuring nine others during a shooting at Brown University, as well as murdering an MIT professor. Authorities said he was found dead on Thursday evening from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
According to police investigations, Neves Valente first studied at Brown University in the early 2000s on a student visa. In 2017, he obtained a diversity immigrant visa, followed by lawful permanent resident status. Authorities have not clarified his whereabouts between 2001 and 2017.
A Key Immigration Pathway for Africans
The Diversity Visa Program, created by the U.S. Congress, makes up to 50,000 Green Cards available each year. It is designed to encourage immigration from countries that are underrepresented in the United States, particularly in Africa, where the lottery remains one of the main legal pathways to U.S. residency.
For the 2025 edition, nearly 20 million people worldwide applied for the lottery, including a large number of African applicants. More than 131,000 people were selected, including spouses, though only 38 slots went to Portuguese citizens.
Selected applicants must still undergo strict security screenings, attend consular interviews, and meet the same requirements as other Green Card applicants.
A Decision With Major Implications
Donald Trump has long opposed the diversity visa lottery, arguing that it poses security risks. However, the suspension is expected to face legal challenges, as the program was established by Congress.
For many Africans, the announcement has sparked concern and uncertainty, as the lottery represents a crucial opportunity for legal migration to the United States for education, employment, and family reunification.
The move is part of a broader immigration agenda under the Trump administration, marked by efforts to limit legal immigration, tighten border controls, and challenge long-standing principles such as birthright citizenship, an issue currently under review by the U.S. Supreme Court.
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