WASHINGTON (AP) — The suspect linked to the shootings at Brown University and MIT entered the U.S. through the diversity immigrant visa program, leading to its suspension by the Trump administration due to security concerns. This program, designed to diversify the immigrant pool, allocates up to 50,000 green cards through a lottery system for individuals from underrepresented nations.
In response to the incident, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, using X, emphasized that the shooter should not have been permitted entry into the U.S. This latest move follows a pattern of the Trump administration aiming to tighten immigration laws after acts of violence.
Critics maintain that the diversity visa program is critical for those without family or employer sponsorship in the U.S. The program was implemented by Congress in 1990 to provide immigration avenues for underrepresented countries.
Joseph Edlow, head of the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, has previously expressed a desire to eliminate the program, arguing it does not align with a merit-based immigration system beneficial to the U.S. economy.
The administration's decision reflects its ongoing effort to reassess immigration protocols, particularly following violent incidents involving immigrants. Responses to the move have been polarized, with some discussing the implications for legal immigration policy as it relates to national security.
