In an overnight decision leaked late on December 18, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem ordered an immediate “operational pause” on issuing new green cards under the Diversity Immigrant Visa (DV-1) lottery. The order—signed less than eight hours after former President Donald Trump publicly blamed the program for allowing the Brown-MIT shooting suspect into the country—directs U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and consular posts to stop scheduling interviews, cancel upcoming oath ceremonies, and freeze fiscal-year 2027 selection work until an inter-agency security review is completed.
Created by Congress in 1990, the Diversity Visa allocates up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to nationals of countries with historically low levels of U.S. immigration. Roughly 20 million people applied for the 2025 cycle, and 55,000 were selected; only 38 of them were Portuguese, the suspect’s nationality. Applicants already in the pipeline now face indefinite delays just as medical exams, background checks, and job offers are time-sensitive.
For applicants caught in limbo, VisaHQ can help navigate the evolving landscape. The private visa consultancy offers real-time alerts, personalized guidance on alternate U.S. visa categories, and an easy online interface (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) to assemble documentation and track embassy appointments—resources that can be invaluable while the DV program remains stalled.
![U.S. hits the brakes on Diversity Visa lottery after campus shootings]()
Noem said the pause is necessary to “close loopholes that terrorists and violent criminals exploit,” but critics note that DV applicants already undergo the same biometric screening, INTERPOL watch-list checks and in-person interviews as other immigrants. Immigration attorneys warn the move could trigger a flood of federal court mandamus actions and breach settlement agreements from previous pandemic-related shutdowns.
For employers, the immediate impact is limited—lottery winners cannot self-petition for work authorization until they adjust status—but the decision sends a chilling signal to multinational companies that rely on the DV program to regularize long-standing employees. Large tech firms that sponsor diversity visa holders for subsequent H-1B transfers are advising HR teams to prepare contingency plans for assignments that begin after October 1, 2026.
Policy analysts expect legal challenges. Because the directive was issued without the notice-and-comment rulemaking normally required to suspend a statutory visa class, plaintiffs are likely to argue the order violates the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeds the president’s delegated authority under INA §212(f). The outcome will shape how easily future administrations can turn off entire visa categories in response to isolated security incidents.
Created by Congress in 1990, the Diversity Visa allocates up to 55,000 immigrant visas annually to nationals of countries with historically low levels of U.S. immigration. Roughly 20 million people applied for the 2025 cycle, and 55,000 were selected; only 38 of them were Portuguese, the suspect’s nationality. Applicants already in the pipeline now face indefinite delays just as medical exams, background checks, and job offers are time-sensitive.
For applicants caught in limbo, VisaHQ can help navigate the evolving landscape. The private visa consultancy offers real-time alerts, personalized guidance on alternate U.S. visa categories, and an easy online interface (https://www.visahq.com/united-states/) to assemble documentation and track embassy appointments—resources that can be invaluable while the DV program remains stalled.
Noem said the pause is necessary to “close loopholes that terrorists and violent criminals exploit,” but critics note that DV applicants already undergo the same biometric screening, INTERPOL watch-list checks and in-person interviews as other immigrants. Immigration attorneys warn the move could trigger a flood of federal court mandamus actions and breach settlement agreements from previous pandemic-related shutdowns.
For employers, the immediate impact is limited—lottery winners cannot self-petition for work authorization until they adjust status—but the decision sends a chilling signal to multinational companies that rely on the DV program to regularize long-standing employees. Large tech firms that sponsor diversity visa holders for subsequent H-1B transfers are advising HR teams to prepare contingency plans for assignments that begin after October 1, 2026.
Policy analysts expect legal challenges. Because the directive was issued without the notice-and-comment rulemaking normally required to suspend a statutory visa class, plaintiffs are likely to argue the order violates the Administrative Procedure Act and exceeds the president’s delegated authority under INA §212(f). The outcome will shape how easily future administrations can turn off entire visa categories in response to isolated security incidents.
