Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Trump has booted 11,000 IRS employees so far, and counting
President Trump has given buyouts or tried to terminate employment of more than 11,000 people at the IRS, with a disproportionate share of those coming from the agency's ranks of auditors, an inspector general said Monday. Published May 5, 2025
ICE takes custody of illegal after Fairfax County DA drops child rape, kidnapping case
ICE has swooped in to take custody of an illegal immigrant accused of trying to kidnap and rape a 4-year-old after Fairfax County prosecutors dropped the case against him. Published May 5, 2025
DHS to pay illegal immigrants $1,000 to self-deport
Homeland Security said Monday that it will pay a $1,000 reward to illegal immigrants who self-deport out of the U.S. Published May 5, 2025
DeSantis sets pace for GOP governors on immigration
President Trump, working to curb illegal immigration on the federal level, has found an unparalleled partner in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is leading the country's preeminent test of immigration enforcement at the state level. Published May 4, 2025
Judge cites Shakespeare as she rules Trump’s attack on liberal law firms is illegal
Quoting Shakespeare's "kill all the lawyers" line, a federal judge ruled that President Trump strayed well beyond the bounds of propriety when he sought to punish a Democrat-connected law firm for working against him. Published May 2, 2025
Supreme Court asked to lift block on DOGE access to Social Security data
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court Friday to put a hold on a lower court order that is blocking Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency from gaining access to Social Security records. Published May 2, 2025
Florida proposes state-run deportation flights for illegal immigrants
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis released a blueprint for immigration enforcement Friday that proposes having the state deputize National Guard lawyers to serve as immigration judges and to orchestrate its own deportation flights to oust migrants. Published May 2, 2025
Justice Department files second anti-sanctuary lawsuit against Illinois
The Trump administration filed a new immigration lawsuit Thursday against Illinois, arguing the state illegally discourages businesses from signing up for E-Verify, the federal system that can weed illegal immigrants out of the workforce. Published May 1, 2025
Trump appeals to Supreme Court to shut down deportation amnesty for Venezuelan immigrants
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to step in and allow Homeland Security to shut down a Biden-era deportation amnesty that's protecting hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans from deportation, saying lower courts have trampled on President Trump's powers. Published May 1, 2025
Feds begin charging illegal immigrants with trespassing on military land
The Justice Department is bringing a new tool to the border fight, charging the first set of migrants with entering a restricted military zone in southern New Mexico. Published May 1, 2025
Judge rules Trump can’t use Alien Enemies Act to deport Tren de Aragua gang members
The Alien Enemies Act can't be used to detain and deport Venezuelan gang members, a federal judge ruled Thursday, a significant blow to President Trump's claims of expansive deportation powers. Published May 1, 2025
How Mexico’s stolen oil is fueling smuggling cartels
Having sapped Mexican cartels' income from migrant smuggling, the Trump administration moved Thursday to go after another source of income: fuel theft. Published May 1, 2025
State Department employee stole $650,000 by writing checks to herself
A State Department employee managed to steal more than $650,000 over two years by using her access to a government checkbook account to write herself 60 checks. Published May 1, 2025
Hunter Biden drops lawsuit against IRS
Hunter Biden on Wednesday canceled a lawsuit that had accused the IRS of illegally trying to "embarrass" him by sharing his private tax information with the public. Published April 30, 2025
Another domestic abuse case surfaces for MS-13 suspect who Democrats want to un-deport
Homeland Security said Wednesday that it discovered Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the MS-13 gang suspect at the center of a political and legal battle, had a second domestic violence allegation lodged against him when he was living in the U.S. illegally. Published April 30, 2025
WATCH: Fate of nation’s first religious charter school rests with Supreme Court
Supreme Court justices struggled Wednesday to decide whether Oklahoma can open the nation's first religious charter school in a case that goes to the heart of whether charters are public or private institutions. Published April 30, 2025
HHS quits paying for kids’ ‘gender-affirming care’ that was promoted under Biden administration
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. on Wednesday said his department has "ended funding for gender mutilation surgeries and other kind of gender dysphoria practices." Published April 30, 2025
Judge sets free Palestinian student Trump is trying to deport
A federal judge ordered the release Wednesday of Mohsen Mahdawi, a Palestinian student the Trump administration has been trying to deport for pro-Palestine activism, saying the government appeared to be trying to silence him. Published April 30, 2025
Feds charge Ukrainian mother and daughter with illegal voting
Federal authorities brought charges this week against a Ukrainian mother and daughter they say cast illegal ballots in Florida in last year's presidential election. Published April 30, 2025
Judge accused of helping man evade ICE suspended by Wisconsin Supreme Court
The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Tuesday temporarily relieved Milwaukee County Judge Hannah Dugan of her duties after she was arrested for trying to prevent law enforcement from arresting an illegal immigrant in her courtroom. Published April 29, 2025
