US Homeland Security chief Kristi Noem said late Thursday that President Donald Trump had ordered her to halt the diversity visa lottery that was used by the suspect in the Brown University shooting.
“At the direction of President Trump, I am immediately directing USCIS (United States Citizenship and Immigration Services) to halt the DV1 program to ensure that no more Americans are harmed by this destructive program.”
How is visa suspension linked to Brown University shootings?
Noem said the shooting suspect entered the United States in 2017 using the Diversity Lottery Immigrant Visa Program (DV1).
The suspect, a 48-year-old Portuguese man who was a student at Brown University two decades ago, later obtained a green card under the same program.
“This great man should never have been allowed into our country,” Noem said.
Last week, two people were killed and nine others were injured in a mass shooting at Brown University.
Authorities found the suspect dead from self-inflicted wounds at a storage facility in New Hampshire state on Thursday and are investigating.
Investigators believe the man was also responsible for the murder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology professor Nuno FG Loureiro, who was shot to death in Boston on Monday, said Leah B. Foley, the U.S. attorney for Massachusetts.
What is the Diversity Visa Lottery?
- According to the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, the Diversity Immigrant Visa Program (DV Program) makes more than 50,000 immigrant visas available annually.
- Eligible applicants must be “from countries with low rates of immigration to the United States,” according to the State Department
- The Diversity Visa Program was created by Congress
- The decision to halt the program is expected to be legally challenged
Edited by: Rana Taha