Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Two Afghan evacuees charged with assaults at U.S. military base
Two Afghan men who were brought to the U.S. in the Biden administration's airlift have been indicted on assault and sexual assault charges. Published September 22, 2021
Biden supporters blast DHS over Haitian deportations
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas just last month declared Haiti a wreck of a country, facing severe food shortages, lousy health care, a ruined economy, political instability and "staggering" human rights abuses. Published September 22, 2021
DHS chief Mayorkas: Border ‘no less secure’ than it was under Trump
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas insisted Wednesday that conditions on the U.S. southern border have not deteriorated under President Biden, and shot down claims by the former Border Patrol chief who said things are worse than he's seen in nearly 30 years of service. Published September 22, 2021
DHS chief Mayorkas sidelines agents during investigation into images of rough treatment of migrants
Border Patrol agents who were involved in a rough encounter with migrants this week in Texas have been sidelined from law enforcement duties during an investigation into their behavior, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told lawmakers Wednesday. Published September 22, 2021
GOP investigates FAA drone ban that shut down coverage of migrant camp
Republican investigators demanded answers Tuesday from the Federal Aviation Administration over its decision last week to impose a ban on drone flights near the Texas migrant camp that sprang up on the banks of the Rio Grande. Published September 21, 2021
DHS chief Mayorkas says border numbers are dropping
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas suggested his department has turned the corner on the border surge, telling senators Tuesday that the number of people being arrested this month has begun to tick down from the unprecedented level of July and August. Published September 21, 2021
In Texas camp, GOP sees invasion while Democrats see mistreatment of Haitian migrants
Top Democrats, who had been strikingly silent about the illegal immigrant camp that built up on U.S. soil, are now lashing out at the Border Patrol agents assigned to handle the situation, accusing them of abusing the Haitian migrants streaming into the U.S. Published September 21, 2021
Activists, progressives demand reversal of parliamentarian ruling against amnesty provision
Immigrant rights advocates said Monday that Democrats must change, ignore or overturn the Senate parliamentarian's ruling that the law precludes adding an amnesty for millions of illegal immigrants to the $3.5 trillion budget bill. Published September 20, 2021
Biden aims to welcome 125,000 refugees next year
The Biden administration informed Congress on Monday that it hopes to welcome 125,000 refugees in fiscal 2022, envisioning a massive ramp-up in admissions even as the government struggles to handle its current challenges at the southern border and with Afghan evacuees. Published September 20, 2021
DHS chief blames ‘sudden’ Haitian surge for border chaos, but says it’s under control
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas blamed an unexpected "sudden" surge of Haitians for overwhelming his agents on the border in Texas and establishing a migrant camp on the banks of the Rio Grande, but insisted Monday that his department does have operational control of the boundary. Published September 20, 2021
Texas governor asks Biden to declare a state of emergency over border chaos
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott asked President Biden to declare a border emergency, saying Monday that things have spiraled into chaos and federal money is needed to reimburse the state for some of the billions of dollars being spent trying to control the crisis. Published September 20, 2021
DHS secretary to visit Texas border chaos
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced a visit Monday to Del Rio, Texas, where a camp of thousands of illegal immigrants has sprung up, puncturing the Biden administration's claims of border security. Published September 20, 2021
Senate parliamentarian blocks Dems from including amnesty in budget-reconciliation bill
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough shot down Democrats' plans to add an amnesty for as many as 8 million illegal immigrants to the $3.5 trillion budget bill, ruling Sunday that the sweeping move would violate the chamber's rules. Published September 19, 2021
Texas state troopers seal off U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio
Texas state troopers used cars to erect a wall of metal this weekend, sealing off the U.S.-Mexico border in Del Rio, and the Homeland Security Department said it was rushing agents and officers to the site to process the thousands of migrants who had made it across, as officials moved on what has become an illegal immigrant beachhead inside the country. Published September 19, 2021
DHS vows get-tough policy toward Haitians in Texas migrant camp
Homeland Security vowed Saturday to take a new, tougher approach to the thousands of illegal immigrants -- chiefly Haitians -- who have breached the border in Del Rio, Texas, and established a massive migrant camp on the U.S. side of the Rio Grande. Published September 18, 2021
Border Patrol agents didn’t follow rules in case that lead to migrant child’s death
Border Patrol agents falsely said they performed required welfare checks on an illegal immigrant juvenile who later died, an inspector general's investigation concluded this week. Published September 17, 2021
DHS shuts down border crossing to deal with growing migrant camp
Homeland Security announced late Friday that it was shutting down the border crossing in Del Rio, Texas, to deal with a massive migrant camp that's sprung up underneath the international bridge. Published September 17, 2021
Exclusive: USCIS director warns of ‘unprecedented’ backlog as Dems seek to add millions more cases
The head of Homeland Security's legal immigration agency warned employees they're facing an "unprecedented" backlog of cases, just as Congress is aiming to add millions of new amnesty applications to their workload. Published September 17, 2021
FAA bans drone flights over Texas bridge sheltering mass of migrants
The Federal Aviation Administration has placed a temporary flight restriction over the Texas bridge sheltering a swelling mass of migrants along the southern border. Published September 17, 2021
Number of migrants encamped under Texas bridge swells to more than 9,000
The mass of migrants camped out underneath a bridge in Texas swelled to more than 9,000 Thursday as the Biden administration struggled to control a new hotspot testing its ability to manage the border. Published September 16, 2021