Judge Orders Opening of 2027 Diversity Visa Lottery

A federal judge has required the Trump administration to initiate the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery. The administration had previously failed to start the green card program’s registration on time.

U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta issued a preliminary injunction on Wednesday. This injunction mandates Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the State Department to set up a registration period for the fiscal year 2027 program. Prospective applicants can now enter the green card lottery. The State Department must process applications until all 55,000 visas are allocated or the fiscal year concludes.

Judge Ohta directed the department to announce and open the DV-2027 registration by midnight Eastern time on Thursday. Curtis Morrison, an attorney with Red Eagle Law L.C., confirmed this requirement. The registration should last for at least 30 days.

The Trump administration has consistently opposed the Diversity Visa program and did not launch the DV-2027 registration before the end of the previous fiscal year. The administration argued in court that starting a delayed registration would violate program regulations.

Red Eagle Law challenged Rubio through a lawsuit, citing the State Department’s inaction under the Administrative Procedure Act. Since the beginning of President Donald Trump’s second term, his administration has restricted various legal immigration avenues. This includes visa and humanitarian programs alongside a crackdown on immigration enforcement.

Established by Congress in 1990, the Diversity Visa program provides green cards to individuals from countries with low rates of immigration to the U.S. Lottery winners must meet specific immigration criteria to obtain a visa.

This article will be updated as more information becomes available.