Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Audit faults DHS for ignoring alternatives in push to build Trump’s border wall
The Border Patrol has had tunnel vision in building President Trump's border wall, ignoring potentially cheaper options for securing the border and using "outdated" models in a rush to get it built, according to a new inspector general audit released Thursday. Published July 16, 2020
DHS urges Portland to accept federal help in snuffing riots
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf renewed the federal government's office of help in quashing violent riots in Portland but said Wednesday local leaders in the Oregon city appear more interested in trying to appease a mob. Published July 16, 2020
Homeland Security inspector general says Border Patrol agents blameless in migrant children’s deaths
Border Patrol agents were blameless in the highly publicized deaths of two juvenile undocumented immigrants, and also showed "great concern" for the two children and rushed to get them medical care, the Homeland Security inspector general said Wednesday. Published July 15, 2020
Feds file unprecedented terrorism charges against MS-13 leader
Federal prosecutors announced groundbreaking terrorism charges against a leader of MS-13 on Wednesday, saying the man, who was an undocumented immigrant in the U.S. before being deported twice back to El Salvador, ran the violent gang's Eastern U.S. operations. Published July 15, 2020
Democrats advance immigration spending bill to slash ICE funding, block Trump asylum policies
Brushing aside worries of spurring a new border surge, House Democrats led the push Wednesday to slash ICE funding, saying they were determined to punish the agency for "willful disregard of Congress's role" in setting immigration priorities. Published July 15, 2020
Trump vows to help ‘Dreamers’ with immigration act
President Trump vowed Tuesday that upcoming actions on immigration will be "taking care of people from DACA," as he insisted he wants to solve the issue. Published July 14, 2020
Trump administration retreats on foreign student coronavirus policy
Harvard beat President Trump on Tuesday, with the administration retreating on plans to make foreign students have to attend at least one class in person this fall or else risk losing their visas and facing deportation. Published July 14, 2020
Federal employees can support Black Lives Matter on the job, Office of Special Counsel rules
Black Lives Matter is not inherently political so federal employees are free to express their support for the movement while on the job, according to the government agency that polices such matters. Published July 13, 2020
Feds spent $1 trillion last month
The federal government spent $1.1 trillion last month, shattering the record for the highest monthly spending ever, and sending the deficit soaring to $2.7 trillion so far this fiscal year, the Treasury Department reported Monday, Published July 13, 2020
Democrats bring ‘Defund’ movement to Capitol Police
Democrats from Seattle to New York are working to cut their police budgets, but not on Capitol Hill, where the House -- controlled by Democrats -- is moving ahead with a budget that freezes but doesn't trim any funding for the U.S. Capitol Police. Published July 12, 2020
White House clarifies Trump’s remarks on DACA, immigration
The White House played clean-up Friday after President Trump suggested he was working on an executive order that would attempt to grant citizenship rights to "Dreamers," saying Mr. Trump is actually talking about two different issues. Published July 12, 2020
Business leaders warn Trump not to mess with DACA
Leaders of some of the country's biggest companies signed a letter Saturday urging President Trump not to make a new attempt at revoking the Obama-era DACA deportation amnesty, saying it would be a significant disruption to lose those employees during the coronavirus recovery. Published July 11, 2020
Trump says he’ll sign order granting ‘Dreamers’ citizenship; White House says he didn’t mean that
The White House played clean-up Friday after President Trump suggested he was working on an executive order that would attempt to grant citizenship rights to illegal immigrant "Dreamers," saying Mr. Trump is actually talking about two different issues. Published July 10, 2020
Chuck Schumer backs effort to slash Pentagon spending
Sen. Charles E. Schumer, the Senate's top Democrat, threw his support Friday behind a proposal to cut $74 billion from the Pentagon's budget, embracing a key priority of the left wing. Published July 10, 2020
Brian Frosh, Maryland attorney general, slams Gov. Larry Hogan, demands vote-by-mail election
Maryland's Democratic attorney general scolded GOP Gov. Larry Hogan on Friday and insisted the state move to embrace a vote-by-mail election amid coronavirus this fall. Published July 10, 2020
California sues to keep foreign student pipeline amid coronavirus pandemic
California filed a lawsuit early Friday challenging the administration's new rules canceling student visas for foreign students whose schools have gone to exclusive online classes this fall, calling it inexplicable as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Published July 10, 2020
Illegal immigration on southern border surged 40% in June
The number of immigrants caught crossing the southern border illegally surged 40% in June, rebounding from a coronavirus lull that had pushed traffic to its lowest level in years. Published July 9, 2020
Tax audits plummet amid IRS budget cuts
Budget cuts have hollowed out the IRS's enforcement abilities, leaving tens of billions of dollars in money that's owed to Uncle Sam and could have been collected, had Capitol Hill ponied up, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. Published July 8, 2020
Joe Biden immigration plan grants citizenship to 11 million illegal immigrants
Presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Joseph R. Biden on Wednesday formally embraced citizenship rights for 11 million illegal immigrants and a full erasure of all of President Trump's get-tough border policies, as part of the party's new unity platform. Published July 8, 2020
Harvard, MIT sue to preserve foreign students’ access during coronavirus pandemic
Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology sued the Trump administration on Wednesday, hoping to undo a new rule that would block some foreign students from being admitted to the U.S. Published July 8, 2020