President Donald Trump has ordered the suspension of the green card lottery program known as the Diversity Visa Lottery (DV1) following a series of tragic shootings at two prestigious universities. The decision comes after authorities linked the suspected shooter to the program, which allows individuals from countries with low immigration rates to apply for permanent residency in the United States.
The shootings resulted in the deaths of two students and left nine others injured. The first incident occurred at Brown University on March 2, 2024, while the suspected gunman was later implicated in the death of Nuno Loureiro, director of the MIT Plasma Science and Fusion Center, found dead in his home just three days later. Law enforcement officials suspect Claudio Manuel Neves Valente, a 48-year-old Portuguese national, of being responsible for these violent acts. Valente died by suicide on March 7, 2024, at a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire.
Valente entered the United States in 2017 through the DV1 program. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem criticized the program, stating, “This heinous individual should never have been allowed in our country.” In her statement, Noem praised Trump for his efforts to end the DV1 program after a previous attack linked to a DV1 visa holder resulted in eight deaths in Lower Manhattan in 2017.
Noem’s directive to halt the DV1 program aims to prevent further tragedies. She stated, “At President Trump’s direction, I am immediately directing USCIS to pause the DV1 program to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.” However, it remains unclear what factors may have allowed Valente to enter the country in 2017, especially given that he had lived in the U.S. more than two decades prior.
In a statement, Christina Paxson, President of Brown University, confirmed that Valente had previously been enrolled in a physics Ph.D. program at the institution. Paxson noted, “He was not a current student, was not an employee, and did not receive a degree from the university. He attended for only three semesters as a graduate student until taking a leave in 2001 and formally withdrawing effective July 31, 2003.”
The aftermath of these events has reignited discussions around immigration policy and public safety in the United States. Advocates for stricter immigration controls are likely to support the suspension of the DV1 program, while opponents argue that it unfairly punishes individuals seeking a better life.
As the investigation continues, the focus now shifts to understanding how such incidents can be prevented in the future. The impact of these shootings resonates deeply within the academic communities of both Brown University and MIT, highlighting the need for vigilance and comprehensive policies to safeguard students and staff alike.