Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Rep. Don Young, most senior member of Congress, dies at 88
Rep. Don Young, dean of the U.S. House of Representatives and one of Congress's more colorful characters, died Friday on his way back home to Alaska, his office announced. He was 88. Published March 18, 2022
Inspector general tells ICE to shut down migrant detention facility immediately
A private-operated ICE migrant detention center in Torrance County, New Mexico, is operating on a skeleton staff and conditions are so "egregious" that the migrants should be immediately pulled, an inspector general said in an emergency alert Friday. Published March 18, 2022
Border Patrol told it doesn’t have to expel Ukrainians who sneak into U.S.
Ukrainians who show up at the U.S. border without permission to enter can still be allowed in despite a pandemic border shutdown, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday. Published March 17, 2022
Feds have recovered less than 1% of $163 billion in bogus unemployment benefits
The federal government blew at least $163 billion on bogus pandemic unemployment benefit payments and has recaptured less than $1 billion of it, the program's inspector general told Congress on Thursday. Published March 17, 2022
Sheriffs vote ‘No Confidence’ in VP Harris over border chaos
The Western Sheriffs Association delivered a unanimous vote of "No Confidence" in Vice President Kamala Harris' handling of the migration crisis that's slammed the U.S. border, with the sheriffs calling for President Biden to sideline his No. 2. Published March 16, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Secret ICE data shows drop in arrests of criminals, surge in arrests of non-criminals
The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement's deportation division arrested 48% fewer convicted criminals, deported 63% fewer criminals and issued 46% fewer "detainer" requests to other law enforcement agencies last year, according to data that ICE officials have tallied but have yet to release to the public. Published March 16, 2022
DHS grants new legal protection to Afghans in U.S.
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced Wednesday he will grant Temporary Protected Status to many Afghans already in the U.S., giving them a new level of status. Published March 16, 2022
Mexicans surged as illegal immigration on border rose in February
The number of migrants caught crossing the southern border illegally rose in February as single adult Mexicans poured into the country at their highest rate in years, according to new Homeland Security data released Tuesday. Published March 15, 2022
Illegal immigrant in Kate Steinle sanctuary city killing pleads guilty to weapons charges
The illegal immigrant accused of shooting Kate Steinle seven years ago on the San Francisco waterfront, helping draw attention to sanctuary cities and giving then-candidate Donald Trump a major campaign issue, pleaded guilty Monday to weapons offenses. Published March 14, 2022
DHS fumbles restart of Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy
At the height of President Trump's "Remain in Mexico" policy, agents were shunting more than a thousand people a day back across the southern border. Published March 13, 2022
Biden cancels COVID border shutdown for illegal immigrant children
The Biden administration moved late Friday to cancel the pandemic border shutdown as it pertains to illegal immigrant children who show up without parents, saying it had revisited the issue and decided children aren't as much of a risk as other unauthorized border jumpers. Published March 12, 2022
ICE announces massive drops in arrests, deportations
The Biden administration slashed interior immigration arrests by about half compared to the Trump years, according to an overdue report released Friday that details the massive changes at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Published March 11, 2022
Pressure builds on Biden to cancel coronavirus border shutdown for illegal immigrants
Top Democrats and hundreds of immigrant-rights advocacy groups demanded Thursday that President Biden cancel the pandemic border shutdown policy that's blocked hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants from attempting to gain a foothold in the U.S. Published March 10, 2022
IRS to hire 10,000 more people amid backlog
The Treasury Department announced plans Thursday to hire 10,000 more IRS employees, which the tax agency vowed to use to try to solve an unprecedented backlog that's left millions of Americans without the refunds they believe they are owed. Published March 10, 2022
2020 census missed Black, Hispanic residents
The 2020 census got the country's total right but undercounted Black, Hispanic and American Indian residents while overcounting White and Asian residents, the Census Bureau announced Thursday. Published March 10, 2022
Congress dings ICE on overdue deportation numbers
Congress delivered a spanking to ICE in the new spending bill this week, prodding the agency to release long-overdue reports on how immigration enforcement fared during the first year under President Biden. Published March 9, 2022
White House sticks with ICE nominee amid abuse allegation
The White House said it is sticking behind its pick to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement amid a new controversy involving a months-old domestic violence allegation. Published March 9, 2022
Republicans preserve $1.9 billion in border wall cash in 2022 spending bill
Republicans preserved nearly $2 billion in unspent border wall construction money as part of the government-wide spending bill announced Wednesday, and also won increases in funding for ICE and the Border Patrol, dashing hopes of immigrant-rights advocates who'd called for deep cuts. Published March 9, 2022
Democrats delay vote on ICE nominee after Washington Times report on domestic violence allegations
Democrats on Tuesday abruptly canceled a looming vote on President Biden's nominee to lead ICE after an accusation of domestic violence surfaced. Published March 8, 2022
Nearly half of IRS audits aimed at poorest taxpayers: Study
Nearly half of all audits the IRS conducted in 2021 were aimed at the country's poorest taxpayers, according to a new study that called the ratio unfair. Published March 8, 2022
