US Suspends Green Card Lottery Scheme After Brown Shooting
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the suspension of the US green card lottery scheme following a mass shooting at Brown University last week, where two individuals tragically lost their lives. This swift action aims to prevent further incidents tied to the diversity lottery immigration visa program (DV1).
– The Incident: The suspect, 48-year-old Claudio Neves Valente, who entered the US through the DV1 program in 2017, was found dead shortly after the shooting. It is believed he also killed esteemed MIT professor Nuno Loureiro days before the Brown University attack.
– The Green Card Lottery: This program offers up to 50,000 visas annually through a random selection from countries with low immigration rates to the US. Noem stated that Trump’s administration had previously sought to terminate the scheme, citing safety concerns stemming from violent incidents linked to lottery participants.
– Previous Concerns: Valente’s case drew parallels to the 2017 truck-ramming attack in New York City, perpetrated by Sayfullo Saipov, another DV1 program entrant, who is now serving multiple life sentences. Noem emphasized the need to ensure no more Americans are harmed by this disastrous program.
– Ongoing Investigation: As authorities investigated the Brown University shooting, tips and surveillance footage led them to Valente’s location, where he was found deceased in a storage facility in Salem, New Hampshire. Evidence discovered in his vehicle confirmed connections to the shooting scenes.
– Victims of the Shooting: The two victims of the Brown University shooting have been identified as Ella Cook, 19, a sophomore from Alabama, and Mukhammad Aziz Umurzokov, 18, a recent Uzbek-American student. Their deaths have raised significant concerns regarding campus safety amidst ongoing discussions about gun violence in the US.
– University Response: Brown University President Christina Paxson noted Valente was a former PhD candidate with no current affiliation to the institution. Both Valente and Professor Loureiro had previously studied together in Portugal, linking the incidents beyond mere coincidence.
As investigations continue, the decision to suspend the green card lottery scheme reflects a growing urgency to address the complexities of immigration and safety in the US. The tragic events at Brown University have reignited discussions about how immigration policies can impact public safety and how to prevent future violence.