The decision aims to strengthen immigration controls after the suspect in the attack entered the U.S. through the diversity visa program
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The president of the United States, Donald Trump, ordered the immediate suspension of the "Diversity Visa Lottery" program this Thursday, known as the green card lottery, after it was confirmed that Claudio Neves Valente, the perpetrator of the shooting in Rhode Island, had entered the country legally through that system.
The measure was confirmed by the Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, who reported that, by direct instruction from the president, United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) will pause the program until further notice. The decision falls in line with the hard-line stance that Trump has maintained for years on immigration and domestic security.
A case that reignited the immigration debate
Trump suspendió la lotería de green cards tras el ingreso del autor del tiroteo en Rhode Island
Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese citizen, was identified as responsible for the shootings at Brown University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which left three dead and several injured. The suspect was found dead hours later in a warehouse in New Hampshire.
According to official documents, Valente had initially entered the United States in the year 2000 with a student visa. In 2017, he obtained permanent residency thanks to the Diversity Visa program, a system created by Congress in the 1990s that allocates green cards by lottery to citizens of countries with low immigration rates to the U.S.
"This individual should never have been admitted into our country", Noem stated on the social network X, when she announced the suspension of the program. The official argued that the case reveals structural flaws in an immigration mechanism that doesn't prioritize national security.
Trump reinforces his policy of control and security
Donald Trump used the incident to reinforce his long-standing stance against the visa lottery, which he considers an "arbitrary and dangerous" system. "We are not going to let anyone through who should not get through," the president stated at a press conference, emphasizing that his priority is to protect American citizens.
Trump suspendió la lotería de green cards tras el ingreso del autor del tiroteo en Rhode Island
The program allows up to 50,000 people per year to enter by lottery, without evaluating criteria such as training, extensive background checks, or economic integration. In the 2025 edition, more than 20 million people participated and more than 131,000 were selected, including family members.
Comprehensive review of the immigration system
The Department of Homeland Security reported that all beneficiaries of the program, including those already approved, will be subjected to additional screening, while the legal future of the initiative is defined. Although legal challenges are anticipated, the White House made it clear that it will not back down from its decision.
Trump suspendió la lotería de green cards tras el ingreso del autor del tiroteo en Rhode Island
This measure adds to other recent immigration restrictions, such as the total suspension of visas and asylum applications for Afghan citizens, adopted after an attack against members of the National Guard in Washington.
Since the beginning of his new administration, Trump has insisted that legal immigration must be aligned with strict security criteria, that inherited programs that do not meet that standard must be reviewed or eliminated.
