Judge Orders Trump Administration to Initiate 2027 Diversity Visa Lottery

A federal judge mandated the Trump administration to commence the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery. This action followed the administration’s failure to begin the program’s registration as scheduled.

U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday. The injunction directed the State Department, under Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to set a registration period for the 2027 fiscal year program. This decision enables potential applicants to participate in the green card lottery, requiring the State Department to process entries until the issuance of all 55,000 visas or until the fiscal year concludes.

Judge Ohta instructed the department to announce and open the DV-2027 registration period by midnight Eastern time on Thursday. Curtis Morrison, an attorney from Red Eagle Law L.C., which initiated the lawsuit, confirmed the requirement. The registration period must stay open for a minimum of 30 days.

The Trump administration had not initiated registration for DV-2027 by the end of the prior fiscal year, expressing opposition to the Diversity Visa program. The government, in court, contended that starting a late registration period would breach regulations concerning the program’s schedule.

Red Eagle Law filed the lawsuit against Secretary Rubio, accusing the State Department of not opening registration in line with the Administrative Procedure Act.

Since President Donald Trump began his second term, his administration has tightened legal immigration channels, impacting visa and humanitarian programs amid broader immigration crackdowns.

The Diversity Visa program, established by Congress in 1990, grants green cards to qualified individuals from countries with low U.S. immigration rates. Winners of the lottery must still fulfill immigration criteria to obtain a visa.

This story is ongoing, with further details anticipated.