[airstrike]

There are still less and more optimal choices for any given goal. I can't think of any view on immigration that is favored by a lottery.

[kubb]

I think it's a compromise between:

  1. We want to do brain drain to remain a leader in science and technology.
  2. We don't want immigration and we don't like immigrants.
  3. We can't discriminate based on where you come from, that's racist.

So let's have H1B (satisfies 1), but put a cap on it (satisfies 2), and have a lottery if the cap is exceeded (satisfies 3).

There could be a better solution for reaching these goals, you could switch priorities, cancel H1B altogether, or lift the cap, or have stricter requirements, or separate caps per country of origin, or per sector, there are a lot of options.

From my point of view, it's all still a lottery.