Summary
The U.S. government has paused the diversity lottery immigrant visa program after Claudio Neves Valente, a suspect in a mass shooting, entered the United States through this program. Data indicates that immigrants are not more likely to commit mass shootings than natural-born U.S. citizens. The move has stirred debate about the connection between immigration and violence.
Key Facts
- Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced a pause in the diversity lottery visa program.
- Claudio Neves Valente, a Portuguese national, entered the U.S. through this program in 2017.
- Valente was a suspect in fatal shootings at Brown University and was found dead in New Hampshire.
- President Trump previously attempted to end the diversity lottery program.
- The diversity visa lottery allows up to 55,000 visas annually for people from countries with low immigration rates to the U.S.
- A Cato Institute study shows 85.6% of mass shooters in the U.S. from 1966 to 2024 were natural-born citizens.
- Criminologists say there is no strong link between immigration status and committing mass shootings.
