Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Trump wall prototypes torn down
The prototypes built as part of President Trump's border wall competition were torn down Wednesday after officials said they had served their purpose and were standing in the way of building a new section of actual border fencing. Published February 27, 2019
Asylum-seekers caught trying to smuggle illegal immigrants
Two Central Americans who claimed to need asylum in the U.S. were caught trying to smuggle a relative into the country this week, federal authorities said Tuesday. Published February 26, 2019
Supreme Court ‘Peace Cross’ case tackles religious freedom debate
The Bladensburg Peace Cross, which today stands on public parkland at the center of two major roads in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, is at the center of a raging national controversy over the limits of public memorials, religious freedom, the separation of church and state -- and who wins and loses in debates over tolerance. Published February 26, 2019
House votes to overturn Trump emergency declaration
The House delivered a searing rebuke Tuesday to President Trump, voting to overturn his border emergency wall building declaration in a floor showdown Democrats said was nothing short of a historic stand against tyranny. Published February 26, 2019
Mitch McConnell says Green New Deal vote still looming; Dems protest ‘sham’
Democrats should be willing to go on record about whether they support the Green New Deal, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said Tuesday, challenging Democrats who've been worried about a looming vote on the policy. Published February 26, 2019
Mitch McConnell can’t say how GOP will vote on Trump’s emergency declaration
Vice President Mike Pence met with GOP senators on Capitol Hill Tuesday to try to convince them to back President Trump's border emergency declaration, but it's not clear whether he made any headway with members who are wavering on the question. Published February 26, 2019
Thousands of illegal immigrant children face sexual abuse by other illegals in govt. shelters
Thousands of illegal immigrant children held by the federal government faced sexual abuse, usually at the hands of other illegal immigrant children, according to new statistics released Tuesday by a Democratic congressman. Published February 26, 2019
House committee ready to issue first subpoena against Trump over family separations at border
The Oversight Committee voted Tuesday to subpoena Trump administration documents behind last year's separation of illegal immigrant families, marking what could be the first such subpoena to be served by the new Democratic majority. Published February 26, 2019
Congress pressed to rebuff Trump emergency declaration
Former GOP lawmakers and national security officials from both Republican and Democratic administrations made public pleas Monday for Congress to rebuff President Trump's border emergency wall-building declaration, saying he's wrong both about the emergency and his own claims of presidential powers. Published February 25, 2019
Trump defends Robert Kraft, Alex Acosta amid sexual misconduct scandals
President Trump on Friday defended two allies facing controversies, saying he was "surprised" at prostitution solicitation charges lodged against NFL team owner Robert Kraft, and mounting a stiff defense of Labor Secretary Alex Acosta, who was dinged for his handling of a child exploitation case. Published February 22, 2019
Donald Trump says he’ll veto attempt to stop wall building
Congress is barreling toward its first vote this week to try to overturn President Trump's border wall building emergency declaration, with the odds favoring them winning the initial skirmishes but ultimately losing the fight on Capitol Hill. Published February 22, 2019
Pelosi undercuts legal case against Trump wall declaration
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Friday that the House will vote Tuesday to overturn President Trump's border emergency declaration, and vowed there are enough votes to clear her chamber. Published February 22, 2019
Sanctuary cities blocked deportation of Mexican who tried to kill sheriff’s deputy: ICE
A man caught on police body-camera footage attempting to kill a California sheriff's deputy during a traffic stop last week had been deported three times before, but local officials had shielded him from ICE in recent years. Published February 22, 2019
Obama judge, Trump judge, Clinton judge to hear border wall emergency declaration lawsuits
One Clinton judge, an Obama judge, and a Trump judge. That's who's been assigned to hear the legal challenges filed so far to President Trump's new border wall emergency declaration, in a case that's shaping up to be the marquee legal fight of his administration. Published February 21, 2019
John Fry, IRS employee, charged with leaking Michael Cohen’s records to Michael Avenatti
Prosecutors have charged an IRS employee with leaking secret taxpayer information about President Trump's personal lawyer Michael Cohen and apparently using anti-Trump lawyer Michael Avenatti as a conduit to make the information public. Published February 21, 2019
Christopher Paul Hasson had weapons, hit list of Democrats
Federal authorities have arrested a Coast Guard lieutenant they say concocted a white supremacist-fueled plot to "murder innocent civilians on a scale rarely seen in this country." Published February 20, 2019
Border Patrol agents fired upon by assailant in Mexico
Border Patrol agents say someone on the Mexican side of the border shot at them Sunday, though nobody was reported hit. Published February 20, 2019
ACLU, Sierra Club file lawsuit over Trump border wall emergency declaration
Nearly every legal argument has already been made -- and now nearly every major player has joined in, after the ACLU and the Sierra Club filed their own lawsuit late Tuesday challenging President Trump's border wall emergency. Published February 19, 2019
Trump-appointed judge to hear emergency wall case in D.C.
A Trump-appointed judge has been assigned to hear the two lawsuits against President Trump's emergency border wall declaration that have been filed in federal court in D.C. Published February 19, 2019
Illegal immigrant dies in Border Patrol custody
An illegal immigrant in Border Patrol custody died Monday morning after suffering from cirrhosis of the liver and congestive heart failure, the government said. Published February 18, 2019
