Stephen Dinan

Jeff Sessions rejects call for second special counsel

Attorney General Jeff Sessions rejected requests to name a second special counsel to probe allegations of misconduct at the FBI, saying Thursday that other investigations should be able to cover the ground already. Published March 29, 2018

Extreme vetting: State Dept. to demand tourists’ social media history

The State Department will publish new rules this week to require most visitors and immigrants to the U.S. to divulge their recent social media histories, carrying out one of the key security enhancements from President Trump's extreme vetting executive order. Published March 29, 2018

California sanctuary law exception: Police can share information with Homeland Security

California officials issued new guidance Wednesday making clear state and local police can -- and should -- share information about illegal immigrants with the federal Homeland Security Department, in what amounts to a major exception to the state's new sanctuary laws. Published March 28, 2018

IG will probe FBI abuses of FISA, after Trump surveillance

The Justice Department's inspector general confirmed Wednesday that it is looking into how the department and the FBI handled requests to conduct secret surveillance, in what appears to be a review of how the Obama administration used the anti-Trump Steele dossier. Published March 28, 2018

Donald Trump campaigns on census citizenship question

The Trump re-election campaign took a victory lap Wednesday over the administration's decision to ask about citizenship in the main 2020 census, saying President Trump personally deserves credit for the move. Published March 28, 2018

Feds charge immigration lawyer with filing 180 bogus asylum claims

The federal government announced charges Wednesday against an immigration lawyer prosecutors say filed more than 180 bogus asylum applications, lying about her clients' criminal pasts and making up other details in order to try to pave the way for them to get legal status. Published March 28, 2018

Judge dismisses class-action challenge to travel ban

A federal judge in Washington who had been a thorn in the side of the Trump administration reversed course Tuesday and ruled she could not force the State Department to grant visa lottery approvals to would-be immigrants from Iran and Yemen. Published March 28, 2018

Trump administration slammed for citizenship question on 2020 census

Immigrant rights groups accused the Trump administration of a racist plot against American democracy Tuesday after the Commerce Department said it would ask Americans to disclose their citizenship status on the 2020 census. Published March 27, 2018

Orange County, California, leaders vote to join Trump sanctuary lawsuit

Resistance to California's new sanctuary city laws grew this week as Orange County voted to join a federal lawsuit trying to block the laws, and the county's sheriff said he will post information on every inmate's release so the Homeland Security Department can see if there is anyone it wants to deport. Published March 27, 2018

Trump cancels special amnesty for Liberians

President Trump on Tuesday ordered the end of another special immigration program that had allowed illegal immigrants from Liberia to remain in the U.S., giving them a one-year grace period to make final preparations and leave the country. Published March 27, 2018

West Palm Beach settles lawsuit to avoid sanctuary city label

West Palm Beach promised Tuesday to allow its police to share information with federal deportation officers, ending a legal battle that had left the Florida municipality in danger of being labeled a sanctuary city. Published March 27, 2018

DNC: Asking citizenship is ‘craven attack on our democracy’

Democratic National Committee Chairman Tom Perez said Tuesday that the Trump administration's decision to ask all Americans about their citizenship on the 2020 census undercuts American democracy. Published March 27, 2018

Illegal immigrant bashes Border Patrol agent’s head against rock

An illegal immigrant assaulted a Border Patrol agent during an arrest last week, bashing the agent's head against a rock before being subdued by backup, Homeland Security said Monday. Published March 26, 2018

Trump administration to add citizenship question to 2020 census

The Trump administration announced late Monday that it will ask a question about citizenship on the 2020 census, moving to restore a critical but controversial piece of data from the decennial count. Published March 26, 2018

Donald Trump on pace for record low number of refugees

The Trump administration has resettled slightly more than 10,000 refugees as it nears the midpoint of the fiscal year, putting it on pace for by far the lowest total since the modern system was established nearly four decades ago. Published March 26, 2018

Facebook under fire as prosecutors, Congress confirm investigations

The Federal Trade Commission, a key congressional committee and state prosecutors each announced inquiries Monday into Facebook's privacy practices, leaving the internet giant scrambling to contain a growing scandal over how it treats its users. Published March 26, 2018

Sex trafficking bill shuts down online communities

President Trump hasn't even put his signature to the bill Congress approved last week to fight sex trafficking, but its bite is already being felt in the online communities it was aimed at, with Craigslist and other major forums nixing their "personals" sections where people trolled for relationships, sex and other connections. Published March 25, 2018

Trump reinstates broad ban on transgender troops

President Trump moved late Friday to exclude most transgender people from signing up for the U.S. military, after his defense and homeland security chiefs said they were worried about the armed forces' ability to handle the different challenges the troops would bring. Published March 23, 2018

Trump to Hispanics: ‘Republicans are on your side’

President Trump told Hispanic voters Friday that he and his party are "on your side" and complained that Democrats were the roadblock to granting illegal immigrant "Dreamers" a more permanent protection here in the U.S. Published March 23, 2018

Donald Trump threatens veto of $1.3 trillion spending bill

President Trump threatened to veto the $1.3 trillion omnibus spending bill Friday, saying it didn't do enough on immigration -- and raising the specter of another government shutdown. Published March 23, 2018