Texas Republican Rep. Keith Self (TX-03) introduced legislation Thursday, October 22, 2026, to end the Diversity Immigrant Visa Lottery. The bill, H.R. 10896, is listed as “Introduced” in the 119th Congress (2025-2026).
The program offers permanent residence to as many as 55,000 applicants each year. It serves people from countries with historically lower levels of immigration to the United States, including many in Africa.
The proposal’s text was not available when Self introduced it. That leaves its specific repeal language unknown.
The filing followed a court order. A California judge ruled the prior week that the State Department had to reinstate the program after the Trump administration suspended it in December 2025.
Self linked his bill to that order and the administration’s earlier suspension. His office said the suspension followed an incident involving a Portuguese national who received a visa through the program and was suspected of killing four people in two shootings, in Rhode Island and Massachusetts.
| India | China | ROW | |
|---|---|---|---|
| EB-1 | Feb 01, 2023 | Aug 01, 2023 ▲31d | Current |
| EB-2 | Nov 01, 2013 | Oct 01, 2021 | Apr 01, 2025 ▲90d |
| EB-3 | Jan 22, 2014 ▲21d | Jan 22, 2022 ▲14d | Jun 15, 2024 ▲31d |
| F-1 | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d | Jan 22, 2021 ▲366d |
| F-2A | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d | Oct 22, 2026 ▲30d |
Earlier bills spell out repeal mechanics, but not Self’s proposal
The Congressional Research Service was to begin analyzing Self’s bill once its text became available. Other proposals introduced in the House offer examples of how lawmakers have sought to end the program, but their language cannot establish what Self’s bill would do.
Rep. Mr. Collins introduced H.R. 1241 on February 12, 2025, with Mr. Gill of Texas, Mr. Webster of Florida, Mr. Haridopolos, Mr. Tiffany, Mr. Nehls and Mr. Ogles. The bill, titled the “Security And Fairness Enhancement for America Act of 2025,” also called the “SAFE for America Act of 2025,” was referred to the House Judiciary Committee. It proposed amending the Immigration and Nationality Act to eliminate the diversity immigrant program.
Rep. Mr. Schweikert introduced two further measures: H.R. 10400 on September 15, 2026, and H.R. 10460 on September 16, 2026. Both were referred to the Judiciary Committee and carry the name “SMARTER Act.” Their stated aims combine a skills-based immigration points system, a focus on family-sponsored immigration for spouses and minor children, and elimination of the diversity program.
Those earlier House proposals would strike subsection (c) of section 203 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, the provision that establishes the program. They also include technical and conforming changes to sections 101, 201, 203, 204, 214, 216 and 245 of the act, as well as section 610(d) of Public Law 102-395, which concerns the immigrant investor pilot program.
The SMARTER Act provisions would take effect on the first day of the first fiscal year beginning on or after enactment. That timing belongs to those bills, not to Self’s measure.
Self criticized the ruling that ordered reinstatement
Self described the court order as an obstacle to the administration’s immigration policy. He said:
“We cannot allow activist judges to dictate our immigration policy,” Self said. “The American people elected Donald Trump and this Republican Congress to put America first. That means securing our borders and ending failed immigration policies. We cannot allow liberal judges to force the administration to continue a failed immigration program.”
The court’s order came after the administration’s suspension, and required the State Department to resume the program. Self’s bill would seek to terminate it through legislation instead.
A separate Senate proposal, the “Visa Lottery Repeal Act,” has been introduced, read twice and referred to committee. Its stated purpose is to terminate the program by striking subsection (c) of section 203, the same statutory provision named in the earlier House proposals.
That Senate bill includes a transition provision. Someone who registered and received notice of selection before enactment could still apply under the law in effect the day before enactment. The provision covers applicants already selected to seek a diversity immigrant visa.
The Congressional Research Service’s analysis of Self’s bill is expected to begin after lawmakers make its text available.
