Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
DHS chief acknowledges ‘unprecedented’ border surge
Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas said Thursday that the current border surge is "unprecedented," with July setting a new high -- and he acknowledged his department is "stretched" in its capacity to test and quarantine those who come across with COVID-19. Published August 12, 2021
Senate votes to back transportation ban of COVID-19 positive migrants
Senators delivered a warning shot Wednesday to President Biden over the border mess and interior immigration enforcement in a series of votes signaling that even some Democrats are worried the administration has lost its way. Published August 11, 2021
‘Held hostage’: Illegal immigrant children describe deplorable conditions in shelters
Illegal immigrant children are being traumatized by the government's emergency border shelters, which are spurring some kids to make escape attempts and others to suicidal tendencies, according to new court documents filed this week that paint the worst picture yet of the conditions the Biden administration is overseeing. Published August 10, 2021
Wisconsin Democrat to retire from GOP-leaning House seat
Rep. Ron Kind, a Democrat who was expecting a rough fight to keep his Wisconsin seat next year, will instead retire, creating a new headwind for Democrats hoping to keep control of the House. Published August 10, 2021
GOP congressman files impeachment articles against DHS chief Mayorkas
Rep. Andy Biggs made good Tuesday on his promise to file articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, saying the man in charge of the border crisis has admitted he's breaking the law. Published August 10, 2021
3 dead after Border Patrol uses Grappler to stop fleeing vehicle
Three people died and others were injured Saturday evening after their vehicle fled from the Border Patrol on a lengthy chase across southern Arizona and agents deployed a spike strip on an interstate to bring it to an end. Published August 10, 2021
DHS secretary will visit border amid worsening conditions
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas will visit southern Texas later this week, giving him a close-up look at the deteriorating conditions on the border. Published August 9, 2021
Mexicans headed home as illegal immigrant population continued to drop under Trump
The number of illegal immigrants in the U.S. fell by 440,000 over the first three years of the Trump administration, from 2016 to 2019, according to new estimates released last week. Published August 9, 2021
Budget envisions $107 billion to grant amnesty, stiffen border security
Senate Democrats' new budget proposal carves out $107 billion to impose an amnesty for "millions" of illegal immigrants and invest in "smart and effective border security." Published August 9, 2021
Congressman announces plans to impeach DHS Secretary Mayorkas
A Republican lawmaker announced plans Friday to file articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, calling him a "threat" to the country's security. Published August 6, 2021
Illegal immigrant who tried to escape dies in Border Patrol custody
An illegal immigrant who became "unruly" and tried to escape from agents in Texas last week became "unresponsive" and died soon after, the Border Patrol said Friday, saying the incident has sparked a review of how migrants are detained and transported in the field. Published August 6, 2021
New record for illegal immigrant kids at border
Agents and officers detained 834 illegal immigrant children traveling the border without parents on Tuesday, shattering the previous daily total in records released by the Department of Homeland Security and signaling the situation on the U.S.-Mexico border is deteriorating. Published August 5, 2021
MS-13 arrests plummet amid border surge
Border arrests of MS-13 gang members have dropped dramatically amid the new border surge, a senior Republican senator said this week, warning that the criminals are still sneaking across but they're avoiding detection amid the chaos of the unprecedented wave of illegal immigration. Published August 5, 2021
Census breaks new ground with survey questions on sexual orientation, gender identity
The Census Bureau has begun asking Americans about sexual orientation for the first time as part of a battery of surveys it is doing to measure social changes during the coronavirus pandemic. Published August 5, 2021
Border wall workers pelted by rocks from Mexico
People on the Mexican side of the border pelted U.S. construction workers making repairs on the border wall in Arizona this week, Homeland Security Department officials said Thursday. Published August 5, 2021
Biden grants deportation amnesty to Hong Kong residents to protect them from Chinese crackdown
President Biden declared a deportation amnesty for residents of Hong Kong who are in the U.S., saying Thursday that arrests and persecution by the Chinese government are putting people in danger and they deserve a "safe haven." Published August 5, 2021
10 dead, 12 injured in gruesome migrant transport crash
Ten people were killed and a dozen more injured Wednesday in a crash in Texas involving a van carrying migrants, the Brownsville Herald reported. Published August 4, 2021
DHS: Cartels earn up to $6 billion a year from smuggling migrants
Smuggling migrants into the U.S. earns cartels and others involved in the practice as much as $6 billion a year, a senior Homeland Security official told Congress. Published August 4, 2021
Illegal immigrants from Brazil soar at border, up 114,000%
Illegal immigrants from Brazil are streaming across the U.S.-Mexico border at astronomical rates, Homeland Security officials said Wednesday, calling them a unique strain on the nation's border defenses in southern California. Published August 4, 2021
Border agents, officers start using body cameras
Homeland Security has outfitted a first group of Border Patrol agents with body cameras as part of a push to get 6,000 cameras into the field by the end of this year, the department announced Wednesday. Published August 4, 2021
