Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
1.35 million new illegal immigrants settled in U.S. under Biden, study shows
The U.S. has added more than 2 million immigrants to its population since President Biden took office in 2021, the vast majority of them here illegally, according to a new report Wednesday that says most of the newcomers are arriving illegally. Published June 1, 2022
GOP challenges Biden’s new pandemic prosecutor
Top House Republicans demanded answers Tuesday from the Justice Department over President Biden's new pandemic prosecutor, who was tapped earlier this year to take control of investigations into hundreds of billions of dollars the government paid in suspected fraudulent coronavirus-related claims. Published May 31, 2022
Replacement Theory’s long march from French socialist to American political inferno
One wonders whether true White supremacists who espouse the "Great Replacement" theory would feel the same way if they knew it sprouted from France and the pen of a former socialist and gay-rights icon. Published May 30, 2022
DHS to restart border wall construction to close ‘gap’ in current barrier
The Department of Homeland Security announced plans Friday to restart limited border wall construction, closing a "gap" in the barrier in Arizona that appears to have been left when President Biden stopped construction on his first day in office. Published May 27, 2022
New asylum rules for border migrants start Tuesday
Homeland Security will launch its new asylum policy next week on a limited basis, giving some illegal immigrants another crack at claiming a legal status in the U.S. Published May 26, 2022
Texas school shooting spurs new questions about ‘good guys with guns’
The country suffered through more than 60 active shooter incidents last year, and in 18 of those attacks, the shooter was killed by a good guy with a gun -- four of them by average citizens, according to the FBI. Published May 26, 2022
Trump judges use one-two legal punch to block Biden agenda
President Biden is pushing an expansive agenda -- but Trump-appointed judges are pushing back, using a powerful combination of legal tools to stymy the administration. Published May 26, 2022
Federal budget improves this year, but pain is looming, CBO says
Uncle Sam is seeing a surprising surge in federal revenue and waning pandemic spending that will drastically cut the federal deficit this year, delivering a brief respite before the pain deepens in the latter half of this decade, the Congressional Budget Office reported Wednesday. Published May 25, 2022
FBI investigating assassination plot against George W. Bush
Federal agents broke up an ISIS-led plot to assassinate former President George W. Bush in retaliation for the deaths of Iraqis during the U.S. invasion, authorities announced Tuesday. Published May 24, 2022
Border Patrol agent gets 21 months in jail for smuggling illegal immigrants
A Border Patrol agent who was on the take, waving illegal immigrants through his Texas highway checkpoint station in exchange for cash payments, was slapped with a 21-month prison sentence Tuesday. Published May 24, 2022
Sen. Joni Ernst floats plan to let states build border wall using feds’ materials
If Uncle Sam won't build the border wall, it's time to find someone who can, said Sen. Joni Ernst, who said she's fed up with tons of steel sitting unused. Published May 24, 2022
Mayorkas says U.S. border is ‘not open’ for illegal immigrants
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas released a video Tuesday urging would-be migrants not to test the U.S. border, saying they are taking big risks and it may not pay off since some of them will be returned to their homes. Published May 24, 2022
Disinformation board idea was ‘highly unpopular’: Poll
Homeland Security is still evaluating the future of Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' "disinformation board," but it will have to overcome major misgivings among the public, according to a poll released Monday that underscored just how "highly unpopular" the idea was. Published May 23, 2022
Vulnerable Democrats relieved as judge rules Title 42 border shutdown will remain
The Homeland Security Department said it is complying with a judge's ruling halting the Biden administration from putting the kibosh on the Title 42 pandemic border shutdown, delivering a win to Republicans and a reprieve to many Democrats who feared political fallout should President Biden have fully reopened the border. Published May 22, 2022
Elite schools’ admissions policies pit minorities against one another
When the country's top-ranked public high school changed its admissions policy two years ago, it insisted the goal wasn't to hurt Asian Americans. Published May 21, 2022
Federal judge blocks Biden from ending Title 42 pandemic border shutdown
A federal judge put the kibosh on the Biden administration's plans to reopen the border to unauthorized migrants, ruling Friday that the president's team cut too many corners when it decided to end the Title 42 policy. Published May 20, 2022
Texas activates border command center as end of Title 42 looms
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said Friday he had activated the state's border security command center to try to prepare for a flood of illegal immigrants if the Biden administration follows through on ending the Title 42 pandemic border policy. Published May 20, 2022
DHS vows to reboot disinformation board after hitting pause button
The Department of Homeland Security said Wednesday that it has "paused" its disinformation governance board because the botched rollout and "false attacks" on its mission have become too much of a distraction for the board to move ahead right now. Published May 18, 2022
DHS seeks to show border strength ahead of expected migrant surge
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas toured the border in Texas on Tuesday and gave reporters a firsthand look at a flight shipping illegal immigrants out of the country, portraying a position of strength as he prepared to battle a renewed border surge later this month. Published May 17, 2022
20,000 Ukrainians jumped U.S. border in April
More than 20,000 Ukrainians stormed the U.S.-Mexico border last month, showing up at border crossings and asking to be let in under a new leniency policy from the Biden administration. Published May 17, 2022
