Kristi Noem, the U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security, announced a decision that has sparked widespread discussions in the country. Through her social media page on Platform X, she confirmed that official instructions have been issued to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services to temporarily suspend the DV1 visa program. This visa program has allowed winners of the annual Green Card lottery to legally immigrate to the United States.
For context, approximately 50,000 foreign nationals obtain the right to relocate to the U.S. annually through the DV1 program. Participation in this lottery requires a minimum of a high school education or two years of verified work experience. This system has long been regarded as one of the most open and transparent pathways for individuals from many countries to enter the United States.
In her statement, Kristi Noem highlighted the security issues that led to the decision. She mentioned that in 2017, a Portuguese citizen, Claudio Manuele Neveshe Valente, who entered the U.S. through the DV1 visa, was implicated in a case involving the deaths of two students from Brown University. Additionally, it was noted that an Uzbek citizen, Muhammadaziz Umurzoqov, also lost his life in this tragic incident.
The secretary also referred to another serious event. According to her, in 2017, Sayfullo Saipov, responsible for a terrorist attack in New York City that claimed the lives of eight people, had entered the U.S. through this visa program. CBS News reported that former U.S. President Donald Trump had been one of the longstanding critics of the DV1 lottery program.
Trump believed such open immigration programs could pose significant threats to the country's internal security. However, supporters of the program disagree with this perspective. They argue that the DV1 visa positively impacts the U.S. economy through the labor market and helps enhance the country’s international reputation.
Currently, it is stated that this decision is temporary. However, it has further intensified debates surrounding immigration policies and raised new questions about the future of the Green Card lottery program.
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