Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
GOP contenders eye Oklahoma Senate seat after Trump picks Markwayne Mullin for DHS
President Trump's choice of Sen. Markwayne Mullin to become the next Homeland Security secretary is setting off a scramble to fill his seat in November. Published March 5, 2026
Trump boots Kristi Noem, picks Markwayne Mullin as new DHS secretary
President Trump said Thursday he is installing Sen. Markwayne Mullin as the new head of the Department of Homeland Security and sidelining Secretary Kristi Noem, ending her mixed tenure and marking the first ouster from his second-term Cabinet. Published March 5, 2026
Trump’s pardons erased $2 billion in victim restitution, repayments to Treasury, Newsom says
President Trump's pardons have canceled nearly $2 billion in repayments to the federal government and restitution to victims that would have been owed by criminals whose cases were wiped out by the clemency, according to a new analysis by California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Published March 5, 2026
Appeals court blocks Musk from having to testify about DOGE
A federal appeals court said Wednesday that Elon Musk does not have to testify at this point about his former role with the Department of Government Efficiency, saying it's too soon to compel his testimony. Published March 4, 2026
Noem says she lives in Coast Guard housing as security measure, pays rent
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told lawmakers on Wednesday that she is living in a Coast Guard residence as a security precaution -- and said she's paying the government to rent the home. Published March 4, 2026
Rep. Mace asks House panel to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi over Epstein files
Rep. Nancy Mace pushed colleagues Wednesday to subpoena Attorney General Pam Bondi to get answers about her handling of the Epstein files. Published March 4, 2026
Fear of lawsuits, racial backlash spurred massive Minnesota fraud, House report says
Minnesota officials knew early in the pandemic that a major food assistance program had fraud issues but kept money flowing because they feared the political fallout of a racially tinged lawsuit, according to a House report released Wednesday. Published March 4, 2026
Noem: No ICE at election polls this year; DHS doesn’t use deportation quotas
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem decried the use of deportation quotas, told Congress she has no plans to deploy ICE officers to the polls for this year's elections, and took a conciliatory approach to angry lawmakers Tuesday by tacitly acknowledging her overzealous denunciations of Americans killed by her agents in Minneapolis. Published March 3, 2026
DOJ pulls about-face, aims to pursue Trump’s cases against Dem-connected law firms
The Justice Department made a stunning U-turn Tuesday, asking a federal appeals court for permission to continue pursuing President Trump's retaliation against four Democrat-connected law firms -- less than 24 hours after the DOJ asked the court to dismiss the cases. Published March 3, 2026
‘A disaster’: Tillis blasts Noem’s leadership, threatens to derail Senate business to get answers
Sen. Thom Tillis unloaded on Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on Tuesday, saying she's failed as a leader, and he threatened to hinder Senate business until she produces information about immigration arrests. Published March 3, 2026
Noem says Trump personally approved her deportation ads
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told senators on Tuesday that she personally ran her plans by President Trump to spend more than $200 million on pro-deportation ads that have boosted her own profile. Published March 3, 2026
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem says nonjudicial warrants used 28 times to enter homes
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem said Tuesday that her officers have used administrative warrants -- those that aren't approved by a judge -- to enter homes to make arrests 28 times so far. Published March 3, 2026
Defense Dept. has spent $12 million to keep illegal immigrants at Guantanamo
The Defense Department spent $12 million last year to house illegal immigrants at the military base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- including nearly $3 million to erect a tent city that never got used. Published March 3, 2026
DOJ drops attempt to punish Democrat-connected law firms
The Justice Department told a federal appeals court on Monday that it was dropping a host of appeals challenging lower court rulings that had blocked President Trump's attempts to punish Democrat-connected law firms. Published March 2, 2026
Supreme Court blocks New York redistricting that could have given Democrats extra seat
The Supreme Court put a stop Monday on a lower court ruling that had ordered New York to redraw some congressional districts in a way that Democrats had hoped would net them an additional House seat. Published March 2, 2026
Immigration court shuts down ‘amnesty’ loophole for hundreds of thousands of migrants
The Justice Department has quietly taken steps to shut down what it calls an administrative "amnesty" that has allowed illegal immigrants to remain in the U.S. without ever having to face court-ordered deportations. Published March 2, 2026
Court ruling lets members of Congress inspect ICE facilities
ICE cannot use budget sleight-of-hand to block members of Congress from conducting unannounced inspections of its processing and detention facilities, a federal judge ruled Monday. Published March 2, 2026
Supreme Court considers drug users’ right to possess firearms
The Supreme Court on Monday stepped into the intersection of drug use and gun ownership, trying to sort out what level of marijuana use makes someone so dangerous that they lose their right to possess a firearm. Published March 2, 2026
‘Brutal and violent’: Judge denounces ICE arrests in Oregon, orders limits
A federal judge scorched ICE Friday for the way it's carried out immigration in Oregon, saying the deportation agency "intended to strike fear" in the state, and he ordered severe limits on how arrests can be made. Published February 28, 2026
Judge blocks DHS from detaining refugees in Minnesota, warns of ‘dystopian nightmare’
A federal judge unloaded on the Trump administration and its attempt to re-vet refugees in Minnesota, calling is a "dystopian nightmare" that breaks America's promise to those fleeing persecution in their home countries. Published February 27, 2026
