Overview
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said she directed USCIS to suspend the DV1 program at President Trump's direction, calling it a public‑safety measure.
- Officials confirmed suspect Claudio Manuel Neves Valente obtained a green card through the lottery in 2017; he was later found dead of a self‑inflicted gunshot in a New Hampshire storage unit.
- The Diversity Immigrant Visa program was established by Congress and typically grants about 50,000–55,000 visas annually after consular interviews and security vetting.
- Nearly 20 million people applied for the 2025 lottery, with more than 131,000 individuals selected when including spouses, underscoring the potential reach of a processing halt.
- Legal experts and advocates expect court challenges and warn that thousands of applicants and recent selectees could be left in procedural limbo until agencies clarify the scope of the pause.