The Trump administration has filed an appeal against a federal judge’s directive mandating that the State Department reinstate the 2027 Diversity Visa lottery and has concurrently requested that the judge suspend the directive pending the appellate review, as per Newsweek.
The initiative, frequently referred to as the green card lottery, allocates approximately 55,000 diversity visas annually to people from other nations that have experienced historically limited immigration rates to the United States.
“The State Department also offered no reason as to why the temporary postponement announced in November 2025 turned into an indefinite suspension extending into the start of fiscal year 2027,” Ohta wrote.
Additionally, the government filed a separate motion requesting that Judge Ohta suspend her injunction pending the resolution of the appeal. The judge also mentioned that Red Eagle Law would experience a loss of clientele and financial revenue should the program continue to remain in a state of suspension, and that such losses would be irretrievable through litigation proceedings. The judge further noted that the reinstatement of the program would not impose an undue hardship upon the government and would advance the public interest by ensuring the State Department’s adherence to applicable federal legislation.
On October 19, the government submitted its notice of appeal, contesting Judge Ohta’s preliminary injunction and associated orders. The department disclosed in November 2025 its intention to implement modifications to the DV-2027 entry procedure and said that the registration commencement date would be communicated at the earliest feasible opportunity.
