The key facts

  • On October 14, Judge Jinsook Ota granted the motion by Red Eagle Law against Secretary of State Marco Rubio
  • The State Department must begin DV-2027 registration no later than November 1, accept applications for 30 days, and notify selected participants by December 3
  • Registration was postponed on November 5, 2025; in December 2025 Trump suspended the program after the shooting at Brown University

Court Orders State Department to Launch Lottery

A federal court for the Southern District of California has ordered the US State Department to hold the DV-2027 green card lottery, Courthouse News Service reports. On October 14, Judge Jinsook Ota granted the motion by the law firm Red Eagle Law, which had filed a lawsuit against Secretary of State Marco Rubio over the delay in program registration. Under the court's ruling, the department is required to announce application deadlines, begin registration, and review the applications of selected participants. The order states that the announcement must include the registration start and end dates, the website for submitting electronic entries, and the eligibility requirements for participants.

Deadlines Set by the Court

According to the ruling, the State Department must begin registration for DV-2027 no later than November 1, accept applications for 30 days, and notify selected participants no later than December 3. The deadlines are given in US Eastern Time; November 1 is the latest date for the start of registration. The department must announce the exact date for the start of accepting applications later.

Background of the Dispute

Registration for the program was supposed to take place in the fall of 2025, but on November 5 the State Department said it was changing the participation procedure and would announce new dates later. In August 2026, Red Eagle Law went to court to push for the launch of the lottery.

About the Program and Its Suspension

The Diversity Visa program provides for the annual allocation of up to 55,000 visas to people from countries with relatively low levels of immigration to the United States. Winning the lottery gives the opportunity to apply for a visa but does not mean automatic receipt of a green card: participants must confirm that they meet the program's requirements and complete the established procedures. Donald Trump opposed the lottery even during his first presidential term. In December 2025, he suspended the program, citing the fact that the suspect in the shooting at Brown University had entered the United States through it.