Judge orders Biden to reserve almost 8,000 'green cards' for the "visa lottery".

The District Judge of Washington, DC, Amit Mehta, ordered the Government of President Joe Biden to reserve the validity of almost 8,000 'green cards' that are part of the Diversity Visa program or “visa lottery” .

The judge's decision comes after the State Department granted only 27% of up to 55,000 visas for this program assigned for fiscal year 2021, which ended in September.

"Part of that deficit is undoubtedly due to the difficulties caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the pandemic is not the main culprit," Mehta said. "That would be the complete cessation of the State Department from adjudicating diversity visa applications for five months and illegally disregarding the priority of those applications when adjudications resume."

The problems for applicants to this immigration benefit intensified when the COVID-19 pandemic began, due to the fact that the procedures in US embassies and consulates were reduced to zero, affecting the validity of the period to obtain Permanent Residence under this process.

The foreigners who applied for the well-known “visa lottery” were represented by organizations that defend immigrants, but they have had a difficult way in court.

Judge Mehta only made a decision for 7,395 immigration protections. This year the period for the allocation of visas for 2023 has already begun .

This program focuses on countries that have little immigration representation in the United States and the new application no longer includes Venezuela, since the natives of that country have increased their arrival in the nation.

Despite Judge Mehta's decision, not all plaintiffs will get the benefit. An estimated 20,000 had joined the complaint in court.

The "visa lottery" has been criticized by immigration opponents, as they believe that it is a "gift" and "free passage" to immigrants, but applicants must pass the security processes established in immigration laws.