State Dept. Sued Over Green Card Lottery

A class action lawsuit has been filed against the U.S. Department of State for canceling the results of the 2012 Green Card Lottery, which otherwise would have granted 20,000 immigrants direct access to a permanent resident visa in the United States.

The Diversity Visa (DV) Lottery, or Green Card Lottery, is a government-regulated lottery that randomly selects 50,000 eligible immigrants from select countries around the world for an opportunity to immediately obtain a permanent residency visa. The goal of the lottery is to diversify the U.S. population. Around 15 million people applied for the most recent drawing, according to CNN. However, due to a computer glitch that compromised the fairness of the selection process, 22,000 chosen applicants had their winning status revoked.

Those affected by the lottery results are being represented by immigration lawyer Kenneth White in a lawsuit seeking reinstatement of the original winners. White’s firm, White and Associates, is litigating the case on a pro bono basis, according to a press release.

“They have broken a public and written commitment to 22,000 friends of America,” states White in the press release. “Real people have had their dreams unfairly shattered, and as a result, the public image of the United States as a fair and honorable country has been damaged around the world.”

According to White’s promotion blog on Facebook, the lawsuit, filed in early June, includes 36 named plaintiffs from more than 20 countries. Defendants include the Department of State, USCIS, and senior government officials.