Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
DHS has now released all 76,000 Afghan evacuees from military bases into U.S.
Homeland Security announced the departure of the last Afghan evacuees from military bases on U.S. soil Saturday, saying 76,000 of them have been processed and released into American communities. Published February 19, 2022
Supreme Court to hear case over Trump-era ‘Remain in Mexico’ border policy
The Supreme Court said Friday it will take up a case involving the Biden administration's attempt to end the Trump-era "Remain in Mexico" border policy. Published February 18, 2022
DHS celebrates drop in border crossings
Homeland Security on Friday touted a drop in arrests at the southern border in January, with Border Patrol agents making the fewest arrests of any month so far in the Biden administration. Published February 18, 2022
Virginia withdraws from Equal Rights Amendment appeal; says court was right to reject lawsuit
Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares moved Friday to withdraw from a lawsuit trying to force the Equal Rights Amendment into the Constitution, saying the state now believes the lower court got it right by ruling against the amendment. Published February 18, 2022
Pentagon audit says dozens of potentially dangerous Afghans let loose in U.S.
Afghan evacuees made it to U.S. soil without being checked through all the government's security databases, an inspector general reported Thursday in a devastating investigation that confirms critics' worst fears about the program. Published February 18, 2022
New York street gang members busted on fraud charges after rapping about COVID unemployment
Members of the Brooklyn-based "Woo gang" were arrested this week on charges of trying to steal $21 million in pandemic unemployment benefits -- and authorities used their own social media posts to nail them. Published February 17, 2022
DHS’ plunging deportation numbers fuel legal challenge
Republican-led states pleaded Wednesday with a federal judge in Ohio to nix the Biden administration's new limits on immigration arrests and deportations, saying what Homeland Security is doing now amounts to an "abdication" of duty under the law. Published February 16, 2022
IRS blames pandemic, Congress for failure to process taxpayers’ returns
IRS Commissioner Charles P. Rettig acknowledged Tuesday the tax agency faces "enormous challenges" in providing service this year, but said taxpayers should direct their anger at Congress for not giving him enough money. Published February 15, 2022
State Department nixed interviews for Afghan allies seeking evacuation
More than 450 Afghan allies awaiting final interviews to evacuate to the U.S. had those interviews canceled when Americans withdrew from Afghanistan in August, the State Department revealed. Published February 13, 2022
Americans will be cleaning up from the coronavirus for years, experts warn
Americans are eager for a post-omicron lull in the pandemic, but experts warn that the coronavirus isn't finished. New variants aside, the pandemic over the past two years has carved scars across society that the country hasn't begun to face. Published February 11, 2022
Audit: IRS lost more than $400 million because of broken mail machines
The IRS cost the government more than $400 million over the last three years because it didn't bother to fix broken mail machines, the agency's inspector general said in a new report Thursday. Published February 10, 2022
Border smugglers use social media to recruit kids, urge reckless driving to evade Border Patrol
Smugglers are turning to social media to recruit kids to drive illegal immigrants -- including some who were just 13 years old, the Border Patrol revealed. Published February 10, 2022
GOP senators warn National Archivist not to certify Equal Rights Amendment
Republican senators are seeking assurances from the archivist of the U.S. National Archivist that he will not move to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the Constitution before federal courts have a chance to rule. Published February 9, 2022
DHS citizenship agency drops security from revised mission statement
The Department of Homeland Security's citizenship agency revealed a new mission statement Wednesday, removing Trump-era references to security and safeguards and instead focusing on welcoming newcomers. Published February 9, 2022
In costliest U.S. fight, little cash goes to actually fight COVID-19
Congress has approved about $6 trillion for the fight against COVID-19, or more than it spent to defeat Nazi Germany and imperial Japan in World War II. Published February 9, 2022
Arizona AG rules states can deploy forces to fight border ‘invasion’
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich has officially ruled that the chaos on the Mexican border constitutes an "invasion" under the U.S. Constitution, clearing the way for the state's governor to defend the boundary with police or troops of his own. Published February 8, 2022
Arizona AG rules border surge is an ‘invasion,’ state can defend itself
Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich issued an official opinion Monday saying the surge of illegal immigrants coming across the border meets the legal definition of an "invasion" under the U.S. Constitution. Published February 7, 2022
Afghan evacuee who served as liaison to Wisconsin community arrested in sexual assault investigation
A man brought to the U.S. as part of last year's chaotic Afghan evacuation was arrested in Wisconsin on Monday after being accused of sexual assault. Published February 7, 2022
IRS abandons plans to subject website users to facial recognition
The IRS said Monday it is abandoning its push to use facial recognition technology on taxpayers, after massive bipartisan pushback from senior lawmakers who called the idea a disaster for privacy and security. Published February 7, 2022
Iraqi man’s guilty plea reveals massive scope of refugee fraud ring
A special program giving Iraqi refugees direct access to the U.S. remains shut down a year after authorities revealed a massive fraud ring operating inside the government, and new court documents are shedding light on just how bad the situation was. Published February 6, 2022
