WASHINGTON (AP) — The Portuguese suspect in the Brown University and MIT shootings came to the United States through a little-known pathway called the diversity immigrant visa.
That program makes up to 50,000 green cards available every year by lottery to people from countries that weren't well represented in the numbers of immigrant admissions to the U.S. in recent years. The visas are given out in a lottery system, and for people hoping to come to the U.S. who have no other way in, it is akin to winning big.
On Thursday night, once the suspect's identity became clear, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said on X that she was pausing the program and that the alleged shooter should have never been able to come to the U.S.
The suspension is the latest step by the Trump administration to restrict legal immigration following acts of violence and reexamine foreigners already in the U.S.
The administration has repeatedly pointed to the difficulties of vetting those people as a reason for the restrictions. But experts say immigrants go through rigorous screening before they are allowed to enter the U.S. Critics say the measures to curtail legal immigration are a form of collective punishment.
The diversity visa was created by Congress in 1990 as a way to give people from countries that were underrepresented in the U.S. a chance to come.
The American Immigration Council wrote in a 2017 report that the U.S. immigration system tends to favor family connections or employers when it comes to determining who can qualify for visas.
“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 — even if they have other promising attributes that could benefit the country,” the organization wrote.
Each year, the federal government looks at who's entered the country in the past five years and where they're from. Then the government sets aside visas for people from underrepresented regions or countries.
This year, 35,000 slots went to people from Africa, 15,000 to Asia, and 8,500 to Europeans.
Even if you win the diversity lottery, that's not a guarantee that you get to come to the U.S. Applicants and their families still have to apply and pass vetting by the U.S. government.
And like any lottery, it's extremely difficult to win. The State Department said last year nearly 21 million people applied during the 37-day application period. About 130,000 were chosen — that includes the main person applying and their family members.
Joseph Edlow, the head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, the agency tasked with processing and approving all immigration-related benefits such as green cards, said in September that he wanted to see the diversity visa “gone.”
In a later interview with The Associated Press, Edlow said he supports a merit-based immigration system that's designed to help the U.S. economy and that he didn't think the diversity lottery fit into that.
“I’ve never really seen at this point the efficacy and the utility to continue the diversity visa. But Congress has to determine what makes sense for them moving forward,” he said.
It was not immediately clear whether Congress has any say in pausing the program, although experts say it likely would in the case of a full suspension.
Trump also attacked the program during his first term, at one point saying it brings in “the worst of the worst.”
During a news conference on Friday, Secretary of State Marco Rubio suggested the aim of the suspension was to take another look at the vetting.
“The reason why you suspend this program is not because you argue everybody who came in under that visa is a bad person and is going to shoot a place up,” Rubio said. “It’s because you want to determine whether there’s something in the vetting of that program that’s insufficient.” He did not address the specific case of the Brown shooting suspect.
Critics have attacked this step and others that the Trump administration has taken, limiting immigration from certain countries as collective punishment.
“This is the latest instance of the administration leveraging an isolated evil action to advance its goal of dramatically reducing legal immigration," said Myal Greene, head of World Relief, an aid group that also works to resettle refugees in the U.S.
The pausing of the diversity visa program is the latest step by the Trump administration to restrict immigration and travel from countries or regions it deems problematic following national security events in the U.S.
After the shooting of two National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. by a suspect who is an Afghan national, the Trump administration announced that it was suspending all asylum decisions going through USCIS as well as all immigration requests relating to Afghan nationals.
The agency also tightened restrictions on people from 19 countries the administration considers “high-risk,” including Afghanistan, making it harder for them to apply for immigration benefits such as green cards or extending stays in the U.S.
When Trump announced a travel ban in June on certain countries he also tied the new ban to an attack in Boulder, Colorado, saying it underscored the dangers posed by some visitors who overstay visas. The suspect in the attack was from Egypt, which was not on Trump’s restricted list.
Earlier this week, the administration expanded that travel ban to include an additional 20 countries. And the refugee program that once let in tens of thousands of people a year has been largely dismantled.
A makeshift memorial is seen on the campus of Brown University, close to from the scene of the shooting, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025, in Providence, R.I. (AP Photo/Robert F. Bukaty)
ADELAIDE, Australia (AP) — Nathan Lyon dented England's desperate Ashes survival bid with three quick blows: vice-captain Harry Brook, bowled; captain Ben Stokes, bowled; leading scorer Zak Crawley, stumped.
Just as England was starting to gain confidence Saturday chasing what needed to be a world-record 435 to keep the Ashes series alive, Lyon returned to the Australian attack.
Crawley (85) and Brook (30) had combined in a 68-run stand to revive England's innings from 109-3 to 177-3 after Australia skipper Pat Cummins took out the top order.
Then Lyon, who moved to No. 2 on Australia's all-time list of wicket-takers with two dismissals in the first innings, started a new spell in the evening session.
Lyon dismissed a cavalier Brook, who reached too far and completely missed an attempted reverse sweep, with his second ball. The 38-year-old spinner quickly took three wickets for eight runs in a sequence that ripped through the middle order and suddenly England was 194-6.
Its totemic skipper, Ben Stokes, was out trying to defend against Lyon but missing a turning ball that rattled his off stump. Crawley, playing patiently in pursuit of a sixth test century, was deceived by a drifting Lyon delivery and stumped by Alex Carey.
At stumps on Day 4, England was 207-6 and needing 228 runs for an improbable victory in the third test.
Australia, which hasn't lost an Ashes test at home since 2010-11, needed four wickets to clinch the five-match series with two tests to spare.
After losing the first two tests in Perth and Brisbane, England needs a victory to have any hope of reclaiming the Ashes. Australia needs only a draw to retain the Ashes.
“We’ll reflect on today and make plans for tomorrow,” Australia wicketkeeper Alex Carey said in a post-match TV interview, trying to play down his team's strong position.
Of Lyon's impact, Carey added: “He toiled away all day, finally got some reward.”
Cummins rattled the top order in three quick spells, dismissing Ben Duckett (4) and Ollie Pope (17), both caught by Marnus Labuschagne, on either side of the lunch interval. Then he returned to have Joe Root, the No. 1-ranked batter in test cricket, caught behind for 39.
It was the 13th time in Cummins has dismissed the former England captain in test cricket. And it was an all-too familiar setup, Cummins putting the ball on a consistent length before getting Root to dabble at a ball that shaped in and then seamed away.
It was an important contribution for the Australian skipper after he missed the first two tests through injury.
Even his Australian teammates late in the afternoon were mildly taunting Lyon, who said in a TV interview earlier this month he was “filthy” at being dropped from the lineup for the second test in Brisbane. Chirps of “C'mon Big Fil. C'mon Filthy” echoed from fielders around the stumps in encouragement for the veteran spin bowler after his three-wicket burst.
Lyon hadn't taken a wicket in 27 overs and had figures of 0-50 from 10.1 overs in the second innings Saturday before he completely swung the momentum in Australia's favor.
Even part-timer Travis Head had caused trouble for the England batters while Lyon was out of the attack, before Australia's frontline spinner seized back control.
For much of Day 4, England was playing the better cricket.
Australia resumed at 271-4 in its second innings, a lead of 356, with Head unbeaten on 142 and Carey on 52.
Head’s dismissal for 170 triggered a lower-order collapse, with the last six wickets falling for 38 in 11 overs. The Australians were all out for 349, a lead of 434.
Head's 162-run stand with Carey ended when he pulled a short ball from Josh Tongue (4-70) high and deep into the outfield.
Stokes then had Carey out for 72, tucking a short ball around the corner and caught at leg slip in a smart piece of field positioning.
Brydon Carse (3-80) dismissed Cummins (6) and Lyon on consecutive balls but Scott Boland left a wide ball to deny England its first Ashes hat-trick since 1999.
The highest successful fourth-innings run chase was West Indies’ 418 in a three-wicket win over Australia at Antigua in 2003.
England has successfully chased 370-plus targets twice to win against India in the last three years.
AP cricket: https://apnews.com/hub/cricket
Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Zak Crawley reacts after he was out stumped by Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australian players celebrate after England's Ben Stokes, right, was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Nathan Lyon, second left, is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Stokes during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Pat Cummins, centre, celebrates with teammate Australia's Marnus Labuschagne, right, after dismissing England's Ollie Pope during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England batsmen Zak Crawley, right, and Joe Root gesture during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Joe Root bats during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, right, walks with teammate Jofra Archer after dismissing Australia during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
Australia's Pat Cummins is congratulated by teammates after dismissing England's Ben Duckettduring play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, right, celebrates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey, left, during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Duckett walks from the field after he was dismissed during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Jofra Archer bowls during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
England's Ben Stokes, centre, celebrates with teammates after dismissing Australia's Alex Carey during play on day four of the third Ashes cricket test between England and Australia in Adelaide, Australia, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025. (AP Photo/James Elsby)
