Judge orders State Department to reopen 2027 Diversity Visa lottery
A San Diego federal judge issued a preliminary injunction requiring the State Department to restart the 2027 Green Card Lottery, allowing up to 55,000 applicants.
In San Diego, Judge Jinsook Ohta granted a preliminary injunction compelling the Department of State to relaunch the 2027 diversity visa lottery, which can admit up to 55,000 immigrants. The ruling requires Secretary of State Marco Rubio to announce the opening and closing dates, the online portal, and participation rules by midnight on Oct. 15, and to keep the registration period open for 30 days. The State Department must also accept electronic entries that meet eligibility standards and notify selected winners through its usual process.
The lawsuit was brought by Red Eagle Law, whose founder Curtis Morrison argued that the administration’s failure to open the window effectively cancelled the program. Morrison praised the judge’s analysis and said the decision reaffirms that the law cannot be ignored.
Why it matters
The ruling restores a major immigration pathway, affecting thousands of potential U.S. permanent residents.
How the sides frame it
HIGH AGREEMENTBoth camps report the judge's injunction ordering the State Department to relaunch the 2027 diversity visa lottery, but the right-leaning coverage adds emphasis on the judge’s Biden appointment and frames the decision as a dispute over the department’s claimed deadline.
CENTER
Centrist coverage simply recounts the judge’s order and the required actions for the State Department without editorializing.
RIGHT
Right-leaning coverage highlights the judge’s political appointment and frames the ruling as a contest between the plaintiffs’ claim of arbitrary inaction and the department’s argument that the statutory deadline had passed.
The right emphasises
- Judge Ohta is identified as a Biden appointee.
- The lawsuit alleges the department’s inaction was arbitrary and harmed clients.
- Federal officials argue the statutory deadline had already elapsed, making the court order impossible.
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