US Halts Diversity Visa Lottery After Brown University Shooting
The US pauses the Diversity Visa Lottery after the Brown University shooting, citing the gunman's past entry through the program and links to an MIT professor's death.
The United States has temporarily paused the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery, commonly known as the green-card lottery, in response to a mass shooting at Brown University. The attack left two students dead and several others wounded.
The suspect, Claudio Neves Valente, a 48-year-old man from Portugal, died from what investigators believe was a self-inflicted gunshot after a six-day, multi‑state manhunt. He had entered the United States in 2017 through the Diversity Visa Lottery (DV‑1) and received a green card.
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the pause, stating the administration will review safeguards to prevent harm from this program. She noted that critics have urged ending the DV program in the past, including after a truck attack in New York City in 2017 that killed several people.
Officials say Valente may also have been involved in the killing of Nuno F. Gomes Loureiro, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Loureiro, aged 47, was shot at his home in Brookline, just outside Boston. Brown University confirms Valente once studied there for a PhD in physics but had no current link to the school.
Investigators linked the two cases by reviewing CCTV footage and tips from witnesses, which showed Valente's car near the Brown University scene. The same vehicle was later seen near the MIT professor's shooting in Brookline, about two days later.
Brown University’s administration said Valente studied physics there during the late 1990s to early 2000s; he was not affiliated with the university at the time of the incidents.
Two Brown students were killed during the December 13 attack in the engineering building, and nine others were wounded as shots rang out during final exams. The victims were Ella Cook, 19, from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, an Uzbek‑American who had just begun his studies.
Expert viewpoint
Immigration policy expert: The pause signals a broad review of screening rules in light of recent violence. While it buys time to assess safeguards, deeper reforms may be needed to prevent future harm.
Summary
The United States halted the Diversity Visa Lottery after violent incidents at Brown University and possible ties to an MIT professor’s death. The suspect used the DV program years earlier to enter the country and later died in New Hampshire. Investigators connected the cases through CCTV and tips, but motive remains unclear. The pause will allow policymakers to reexamine safeguards and procedures for visa programs.
The key takeaway is that officials paused the diversity visa program to reassess safety measures after linked violent incidents, highlighting ongoing debates about immigration screening.
BBC News
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