Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
House spending bill calls for $2 billion for border wall, thousands more Border Patrol agents
House Republicans' new homeland security spending bill would pump billions of dollars into border security by restarting construction of former President Donald Trump's wall, adding thousands of Border Patrol agents and boosting the number of beds for migrants awaiting deportation. Published May 17, 2023
Judge scolds Biden administration over post-Title 42 releases of illegal immigrants
A federal judge rebuked the Department of Homeland Security for releasing 2,567 migrants on "parole" even after he had issued a temporary restraining order, and demanded that the department track what happens to those migrants as they disperse throughout the country. Published May 17, 2023
National Institutes of Health cuts off Wuhan Institute of Virology from taxpayer funding
The National Institutes of Health has quietly erased the Wuhan Institute of Virology -- the facility at the center of speculation about the origin of COVID-19 -- from its list of labs that can conduct animal testing with U.S. money. Published May 17, 2023
IRS has built its own e-file system to compete with TurboTax
The IRS said Tuesday that it could create its own electronic direct-file system that would allow many taxpayers to bypass expensive companies such as TurboTax and complete their returns for free -- but said it will take an infusion of manpower and money to get it done. Published May 16, 2023
Marjorie Taylor Greene announces articles of impeachment against FBI Director Wray
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene announced articles of impeachment Tuesday against FBI Director Christopher A. Wray, blaming him for leading an out-of-control agency she said has become President Biden's enforcer against political opponents. Published May 16, 2023
DHS says it complied with judge’s order on border releases
A Homeland Security official told a federal judge Monday that the department generally has complied with his order to stop issuing "parole" to illegal immigrants last Thursday, saying that while some people were officially released after the judge's deadline, they had been "fully processed" before that. Published May 15, 2023
IRS ponders changes to lower audit rate for Black taxpayers
The IRS is looking to change how it selects which tax returns to audit after concluding that Black taxpayers seem to face more audits than they should, given their share of the population. Published May 15, 2023
Biden celebrates as border migrant surge doesn’t materialize
The Biden administration took a sort of victory lap Monday after a major border surge didn't materialize, saying that foreign governments have stepped up their own border security and migrants are becoming reluctant to shift from border-jumping to using "legal" avenues of entry. Published May 15, 2023
Judge orders Biden administration to explain parole releases after Washington Times report
A federal judge in Florida ordered the Biden administration on Monday to explain its release of illegal immigrants on "parole" at the southern border, citing a Washington Times report saying some 2,500 paroles were issued even after the court issued a temporary restraining order. Published May 15, 2023
Feds granted thousands parole after court’s hold; border numbers drop with Title 42 expiration
Homeland Security paroled roughly 2,500 migrants into the U.S. from the southern border on Friday, according to a department source. Published May 14, 2023
DHS paroled 6,000 migrants on Thursday alone: ‘Nobody has any idea who they are’
As the Department of Homeland Security catches and releases illegal immigrants into the U.S., one burning question is how much authorities actually know about whom they're releasing. Published May 12, 2023
Feds to run $1.5 trillion deficit this year, and it could get even worse, CBO says
Uncle Sam's budget picture just got worse. The Congressional Budget Office on Friday said the federal deficit will reach $1.5 trillion this year -- and that's before factoring in a pretty bad month of April, which saw tax revenue come in significantly below projections. Published May 12, 2023
Border Patrol shatters records with 10,000 arrests a day
The Border Patrol averaged nearly 10,000 arrests a day over the last week, putting it on pace to obliterate previous records for illegal immigration. Published May 12, 2023
DHS makes last-minute plea to migrants as Title 42 ends
Title 42, the pandemic expulsion power that had kept the border crisis from turning into catastrophe, has now expired, and Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas made a final plea to migrants massing in Mexico not to rush the border. Published May 12, 2023
Judge blames Biden for border chaos, rejects DHS’ ‘parole’ policy
A federal judge ruled late Thursday that Homeland Security cannot use its "parole" powers to catch and release illegal immigrants in the current border surge, upending the chief tool the administration was hoping to use to deal with the expected wave of people. Published May 11, 2023
House passes border security bill as record wave of migrants streams in, Biden concedes to the chaos
A record wave of illegal immigrants rushed America's southern border Thursday as President Biden and his team resigned themselves to the chaos, admitting that with the expiration of the Title 42 pandemic expulsion authority they are powerless to stop the arrivals. Published May 11, 2023
House passes border security bill as Biden searches for answers
Republicans powered a border security bill through the House on Thursday, saying they wanted to rush tools to help shut down the new wave of illegal immigrants pouring into the country with the end of the Title 42 pandemic expulsion policy. Published May 11, 2023
Judge halts New York City’s plans to dump migrants on neighboring county
Rockland County, New York, said it won a restraining order Thursday blocking New York City from trying to foist illegal immigrants onto the GOP-led jurisdiction. Published May 11, 2023
Florida attorney general asks federal judge to halt border ‘parole’
Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody asked a federal judge on Thursday to rule on whether Homeland Security is violating the court's orders by using "parole" powers to catch and release migrants in the new border surge. Published May 11, 2023
60 days to check in: Memo reveals Border Patrol’s new catch-and-release policy
The chief of the Border Patrol authorized his agents to use parole to catch and release illegal immigrants caught in the border surge, saying the numbers are so high that his agency cannot be expected to process everyone correctly. Published May 11, 2023
