Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Texas law cracking down on illegal immigrant ‘invasion’ prevails in court challenge
A federal appeals court allowed to stand Texas' law giving the state independent power to arrest and deport illegal immigrants, with the judges saying the groups who challenged it lacked legal standing to bring the case. Published April 24, 2026
Feds bust network that smuggled migrants from Iran into U.S.
Prosecutors announced charges against an Iranian man they say operated a smuggling network that specialized in helping illegal immigrants from Iran sneak into the U.S. Published April 24, 2026
Appeals court strikes down Trump’s speedy deportation rules, affirms right to apply for asylum
A federal appeals court has ruled that the Trump administration went too far in trying to create its own deportation rules to speed up the process, ditching core protections Congress put in place to ensure people weren't sent to countries where they faced danger of persecution. Published April 24, 2026
Feds won’t return rapid-fire trigger switches to Democrat-led states
Democrat-led states agreed to drop a lawsuit Thursday after the federal government said it would not send trigger devices, which can make semiautomatic firearms mimic machine guns, to people in states where the devices are banned by law. Published April 23, 2026
Feds bust ‘slave labor scam factory’ that stole from Americans
Federal authorities said they've disrupted a vicious "scam factory" network in Asia that recruited local workers, enslaved them in fraud centers as large as cities, then turned them loose to steal from Americans through phone scams. Published April 23, 2026
Illegal immigrants and temporary visitors give birth to 9% of U.S. babies
Nearly 1 in 10 newborns in the U.S. in 2023 were delivered by mothers who were either in the country illegally or on a temporary visitor's pass. Published April 23, 2026
Inspector general will probe DOJ’s handling of Epstein files
The Justice Department's chief watchdog announced a probe Thursday into the release of files related to the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, with a particular eye toward whether the department released everything it was supposed to while protecting the names of victims. Published April 23, 2026
DHS has identified 24,000 potential noncitizens on the voter rolls
Homeland Security has flagged more than 24,000 names on U.S. voter rolls that may be noncitizens who are ineligible to vote, the department said Thursday. Published April 23, 2026
Supreme Court ponders deporting green card holders
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to make it easier to deport green card holders with criminal records who leave the country and try to reenter. Published April 22, 2026
Appeals court blocks California’s No Vigilantes law forcing ICE to display names while on duty
A federal appeals court ruled against California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday, putting on hold his state law that tried to force federal immigration officers to display their names on their uniforms while they are out enforcing laws. Published April 22, 2026
Nebraska agrees to end in-state college tuition for illegal immigrants
Nebraska reached a consent agreement with the Department of Justice this week to stop enforcing its law allowing illegal immigrants to receive in-state tuition at public colleges. Published April 22, 2026
Appeals court upholds state law requiring posting of Ten Commandments in classrooms
Texas' law requiring public schools to have a copy of the Ten Commandments posted in classrooms does not violate the Constitution, a federal appeals court ruled, plowing new ground in religious law. Published April 21, 2026
Patel, Blanche blast Atlantic piece alleging FBI director’s drunkenness
FBI Director Kash Patel lashed out at reporters Tuesday as he vehemently denied a media report that he was drunk on the job, saying he's not only never been intoxicated while working but he's also put in more days than his predecessors. Published April 21, 2026
Alligator Alcatraz prevails in court as judges shoot down environmental groups’ challenge
A federal appeals court gave its imprimatur to Alligator Alcatraz, Florida's detention facility built in the Everglades to house illegal immigrants for the federal government, rejecting a challenge by groups who said the facility violated environmental law. Published April 21, 2026
Justice Department indicts Southern Poverty Law Center on fraud charges
The Southern Poverty Law Center announced Tuesday that it is under a federal criminal investigation related to its past use of paid informants to infiltrate "extremely violent groups." Published April 21, 2026
Judge blocks Trump administration from removing bike lanes near National Mall
A federal court blocked the Trump administration from getting rid of a dedicated bike lane along 15th Street on the National Mall, ruling Tuesday that the National Park Service didn't think the decision through. Published April 21, 2026
Democratic Rep. Cherfilus-McCormick resigns amid campaign scandal
Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick resigned from Congress Tuesday, minutes before she was about to face an embarrassing decision by the House Ethics Committee on how to punish her for siphoning ill-gotten pandemic money into her congressional campaign. Published April 21, 2026
Polish man convicted of taking photos at military’s secret Area 51 in Nevada
A citizen of Poland has been convicted and sentenced to time served after he admitted to coming to the U.S. to photograph the secret military base in Nevada that contains the famed Area 51. Published April 21, 2026
FTC drops probe of Media Matters
The Federal Trade Commission has rescinded its investigation of Media Matters, a left-wing group that monitors the news, marking the second retreat in less than a week for the FTC. Published April 21, 2026
Lawsuit accuses DOJ of illegally compiling database to take over elections
Voting rights groups asked a federal court Tuesday to shut down the Justice Department's attempt to build a nationwide database of voter registration lists, saying it's part of an illegal bid to inject the federal government into the way states run their elections. Published April 21, 2026
