Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
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
Feds announce charges against American who ran a Russian ‘propaganda center’
Federal prosecutors unsealed charges Tuesday against a woman who ran what they called a "Russian propaganda center" in New York, trying to inject Moscow's viewpoint into American politics. Published March 8, 2022
DHS intelligence office bungled warnings about Jan. 6 violence, inspector general finds
Analysts in Homeland Security's intelligence division spotted threats leading up to last year's mass intrusion of Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol, but the department did not send out any alerts until two days after the mayhem, an inspector general said in a new report Tuesday. Published March 8, 2022
Man used pandemic benefits to buy a $58,000 Pokemon card
A Georgia man was sentenced to three years in prison after admitting he bilked the federal government out of $85,000 and used most of it to buy a Pokemon card. Published March 7, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Senator wants ICE vote delayed after domestic violence allegation against Biden nominee
Sen. James Lankford asked Democrats on Monday to delay a planned vote this week on President Biden's pick to lead ICE after accusations of domestic violence surfaced. Published March 7, 2022
EXCLUSIVE: Biden’s pick to lead ICE was probed over domestic violence complaint
President Biden's nominee to lead the country's deportation agency faced a domestic violence accusation from his wife, according to documents filed in a tangentially related sexual harassment lawsuit. Published March 7, 2022
Former citizenship chief urges Biden to halt Russian visas
In an average year, roughly 150,000 Russians will enter the U.S. as students, academics, pro athletes, investors, or, most common, as visitors on tourism or business trips. Published March 5, 2022
Judge rules Biden overreached in exempting kids from border pandemic policies
A federal judge on Friday slammed President Biden's decision to grant an exemption to illegal immigrant children at the border by allowing them to enter while other migrants are turned back amid the pandemic. Published March 4, 2022
DHS grants protected status to Ukrainians in U.S.
The Homeland Security Department granted Temporary Protected Status to Ukrainians in the U.S. on Thursday, giving both illegal immigrants and those here on short-term visas a chance to remain and work for up to 18 months amid their country's chaos. Published March 3, 2022
Feds accused American citizen of violating Russia-oligarch sanctions
Federal prosecutors announced charges Thursday against an American they say violated U.S. sanctions by working for a Russian oligarch, calling the case an "example" amid Moscow's ongoing aggression in Ukraine. Published March 3, 2022
Biden dodges issue of relief for Ukrainians in U.S.
President Biden's tough talk this week for Russia and words of comfort for Ukraine didn't extend to tens of thousands of Ukrainian citizens already here in the U.S., who fear having to return to their war-torn home country. Published March 2, 2022
Biden administration restarts troubled Iraqi refugee program
The State Department said it is reviving an Iraqi refugee program that was abruptly shut down early last year after investigators discovered government employees had been pilfering files in order to help people file bogus applications. Published March 2, 2022
Biden’s guest list for State of the Union falls flat
Ukraine's ambassador had a prime seat for President Biden's State of the Union address Tuesday, with an invitation to sit next to first lady Jill Biden and accept the accolades of an enthusiastic Congress. Published March 1, 2022
