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“People who do not have U.S.-based eligible family members or employers able to sponsor their visas have very few opportunities for permanent, legal immigration to the United States,” the organization wrote.

(Source: American Immigration Council – https://www.americanimmigrationcouncil.org)

Trump Administration Pauses Diversity Immigrant Visa

The Trump administration program pause marks the latest step by the Trump administration to restrict legal immigration following violent incidents involving foreign nationals. Officials have repeatedly argued that vetting systems may be insufficient, even as immigration advocates push back against that claim.

USCIS Director Joseph Edlow has been outspoken in his opposition to the program. In a September interview, he said he would like to see the Diversity Immigrant visa “gone,” adding later to The Associated Press that he supports a merit-based immigration system designed to benefit the U.S. economy.

“I’ve never really seen at this point the efficacy and the utility to continue the diversity visa,” Edlow said, noting that Congress would ultimately decide its future.

Related video: Trump halts diversity visas after Brown University suspect is IDed as immigrant (The Daily Express)

Political and Legal Questions Surrounding the Suspension

It remains unclear whether the administration can fully suspend the Diversity Immigrant visa program without congressional approval. Legal experts say Congress, which created the program, would likely have authority over a permanent suspension.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio framed the pause as a review rather than a condemnation of immigrants.

“The reason why you suspend this program is not because you argue everybody who came in under that visa is a bad person,” Rubio said. “It’s because you want to determine whether there’s something in the vetting of that program that’s insufficient.”

Brown University Shooter Identified Profilers Describe an “Extremely Angry” Loner - USA Herald

Critics, however, argue that the move unfairly targets millions of lawful immigrants. Myal Greene, head of World Relief, called the pause “the latest instance of the administration leveraging an isolated evil action to advance its goal of dramatically reducing legal immigration.”

A Broader Crackdown on Immigration

The Diversity Immigrant visa pause follows a series of aggressive immigration actions. After a separate shooting involving an Afghan national in Washington, D.C., the administration suspended asylum decisions related to Afghan nationals and tightened restrictions on people from 19 “high-risk” countries.