Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Judge puts new crimp in Trump deportation plans with limits on third-country removals
A federal judge slapped new restrictions on President Trump's deportation efforts, ruling that he can't change the destination of migrants' removal without giving them a chance to argue against it in court. Published March 28, 2025
Judge extends blockade on Venezuelan gang deportations
Judge James Boasberg has stretched his stoppage of President Trump's ability to deport Venezuelan gang suspects as alien enemies, ordering the administration not to try to oust anyone until at least April 12. Published March 28, 2025
Trump asks Supreme Court to restart deportation of Venezuelan gang suspects
President Trump's lawyers have asked the Supreme Court to allow him to begin deporting Venezuelan gang suspects he's deemed terrorists and "alien enemies," saying lower court blockades are interfering with core presidential powers. Published March 28, 2025
Arrest of pro-Palestinian graduate student goes viral
Video showing the arrest of a Turkish graduate student in Massachusetts who has supported anti-Israel causes has gone viral and drawn condemnation from immigration groups that said it smacked of authoritarianism. Published March 27, 2025
Judge orders Trump team to preserve pre-attack Signal chat; feds say they were already doing it
The first round in the legal battle over leaked Signal chat messages about the U.S. attack on Houthi rebels fizzled Thursday as a judge ordered the government to do what it said it's already trying to do: preserve the records in accordance with the law. Published March 27, 2025
ICE lost track of tens of thousands of migrant kids, inspector general says
The government's deportation agency lost track of tens of thousands of illegal immigrant children who were released into communities and disappeared, the agency's inspector general reported Thursday. Published March 27, 2025
Appeals court maintains block on Trump administration’s spending freeze
A federal appeals court ruled Thursday to maintain a block on President Trump's attempt to pause a large swath of federal spending, saying the administration has not been able to prove the orders are legal. Published March 27, 2025
Feds nab MS-13 leader in Virginia, challenge sanctuary cities to work with Trump
U.S. authorities on Thursday said the MS-13's top leader on the East Coast was captured by federal agents in Northern Virginia. Published March 27, 2025
Appeals court upholds Judge Boasberg’s blockade on Venezuelan gang deportations
A federal appeals court on Wednesday upheld a judge's blockade on President Trump using the Alien Enemies Act to deport Venezuelan gang suspects, saying the administration appears to be stretching the law too far. Published March 26, 2025
Appeals court blocks judge’s order for Musk, DOGE to turn over records
A federal appeals court halted a lower court's order that had directed Elon Musk and the Department of Government Efficiency to submit to legal discovery and turn over records about its operations, ruling Wednesday that the judge was too quick to allow it. Published March 26, 2025
Judge rejects Trump DOJ’s calls for recusal from case involving law firm linked to Steele dossier
U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell rejected the Justice Department's demand that she recuse herself from a case involving President Trump, saying Wednesday that the allegations against her were "innuendo and basic legal disagreements." Published March 26, 2025
Labor unions say Trump officials are defying court order to rehire probational employees
Labor unions asked a federal judge Wednesday to hold the Trump administration in contempt of court, arguing the president's team has not complied with a judge's order to rehire most of the probationary employees it fired. Published March 26, 2025
Supreme Court upholds Biden-era requirements on ghost guns
The Supreme Court on Wednesday gave the federal government the green light to regulate firearms kits -- also known as ghost guns -- as weapons, meaning they must have serial numbers and that buyers must undergo background checks. Published March 26, 2025
DHS tells judge Trump couldn’t bring Venezuelan ‘terrorists’ back to U.S.
A defiant Trump administration defended its decision not to turn planes with Venezuelan gang suspects around midair, telling a judge late Tuesday that President Trump will never knowingly import "terrorists" into the U.S. Published March 25, 2025
Judge blocks DHS from arresting, deporting Columbia student protester
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday telling the Trump administration not to arrest Yunseo Chung, an immigrant from South Korea who said she has become a target since she was arrested at a pro-Palestinian protest earlier this month. Published March 25, 2025
GSA slashes must-sell property list from 443 to 8
The General Services Administration has cut its target list of non-core properties it wants to dump from 443 down to just eight -- all of which had previously been identified as targets by the previous administration. Published March 25, 2025
Court blocks Trump’s attempt to close Radio Free Europe
A federal judge issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday protecting Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty from being shut down by President Trump, saying the government was too hasty in its attempt to shutter the outlet. Published March 25, 2025
Trump signs order cracking down on voter fraud, noncitizen voting
President Trump moved to crack down on noncitizen voting in federal elections with a new executive order Tuesday requiring people who register to vote to use a federal form to provide proof of citizenship. Published March 25, 2025
U.S. intelligence says most immediate threat to America are Mexican cartels
Cartels and gangs pose the most direct danger to the U.S., intelligence officials said Tuesday as they delivered their annual global threat assessment to Congress. Published March 25, 2025
Intelligence community warns America’s adversaries are uniting
Cartels and gangs pose the most direct danger to the U.S., intelligence officials said Tuesday as they delivered their annual global threat assessment to Congress. Published March 25, 2025