Green Card Update as Marco Rubio Ordered To Reopen 2027 Lottery

A federal judge has ordered the Trump administration to open the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery after the administration failed to begin the green card program's registration period on schedule.

U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta granted a preliminary injunction Wednesday requiring the State Department, led by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, to establish a registration period for the fiscal year 2027 program. The ruling allows prospective applicants to enter the green card lottery, with the State Department required to process entries until all 55,000 visas are issued or the 2027 fiscal year ends.

Ohta ordered the department to publicly announce and open the DV-2027 registration period by midnight Eastern time on Thursday, according to Curtis Morrison, an attorney representing Red Eagle Law L.C., which brought the lawsuit. The registration period must remain open for at least 30 days.

The Trump administration, which has opposed the diversity visa program, did not open registration for DV-2027 before the previous fiscal year ended. The government subsequently argued in court that opening a delayed registration period would conflict with regulations governing the program's timing.

Red Eagle Law sued Rubio, challenging the State Department's failure to open registration under the Administrative Procedure Act.

Since President Donald Trump began his second term, his administration has tightened several legal immigration pathways, including visa and humanitarian programs, alongside its immigration enforcement crackdown.

Created by Congress in 1990, the Diversity Visa program offers green cards to eligible people from countries with low rates of U.S. immigration. Lottery winners must still meet immigration requirements to receive a visa.

This is a developing story. More to follow.