Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Judge won’t block Trump’s machinations at Wall Street cop CFPB
A federal judge has declined to interfere in President Trump's moves at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, ruling that it's too early to say what the administration is doing at the Wall Street cop. Published March 14, 2025
Trump vs. deep state: Tiny agency takes an oversized role in battle over aid
The U.S. African Development Foundation, one of the smallest agencies in the federal government, has become a major battlefield in the guerrilla warfare between the Trump administration and resisters deep inside the bureaucracy. Published March 13, 2025
Trump’s birthright citizenship case reaches Supreme Court
The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court on Thursday to step in and allow the president's attempt to limit birthright citizenship to take effect, at least in some cases, while the court battles over his executive order rage on. Published March 13, 2025
Judge orders Trump to reinstate probationary employees
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to bring back thousands of fired probationary employees, saying their ousters were illegal. Published March 13, 2025
Judge blocks Trump from punishing prominent Democratic law firm
A federal judge spanked President Trump on Wednesday over his attempt to block the government from doing business with the law firm that helped Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign by promoting the now-discredited "Steele Dossier." Published March 12, 2025
Trump sees best border numbers ever, major reductions of migrants in all categories
Illegal immigration at the southern border virtually disappeared in February, according to the latest government data Wednesday that showed improvements across the board. Published March 12, 2025
Trump administration shuts down shelters accused of abusing migrant children
The Trump administration said Wednesday it has stopped sending migrant children to facilities run by Southwest Key, the largest player in the migrant child detention business, due to "appalling" accounts of kids being abused. Published March 12, 2025
Senior DHS official investigated for drug trafficking, charged with disaster fraud
A senior official at Homeland Security was being investigated for potential involvement in drug trafficking, according to new court files unsealed Tuesday. Published March 12, 2025
DHS: Biden’s DHS was ‘cooking the books’ to pump up ICE arrests
Homeland Security Department officials accused the Biden administration Wednesday of "cooking the books" to falsely pump up immigration arrest numbers by counting illegal immigrants who were caught and released rather than detained and deported. Published March 12, 2025
Watchdog group says NASA went big on woke programs
NASA may struggle to get astronauts to and from the International Space Station, but here on Earth it has gone all-in on its diversity, equity and inclusion mission, according to a new report Wednesday that details expansive efforts to promote the ideology. Published March 12, 2025
Biden’s final tally: 8.3 million new immigrants, most of them here illegally
Those on the ground could feel it, and now the numbers are there to back it up: Something unprecedented happened in immigration over the last four years of the Biden administration. Published March 12, 2025
Education Department cuts nearly 50% of workforce
The Education Department said Tuesday it will slim down to fewer than 2,200 employees, a nearly 50% reduction from what it looked like when President Trump took office. Published March 11, 2025
House passes bill to punish pandemic fraudsters; Dems balk, blame Elon Musk
The House on Tuesday approved legislation to double the statute of limitations for pandemic unemployment fraud to 10 years, brushing aside Democrats' attempt to turn the bill into a referendum on Elon Musk and President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency. Published March 11, 2025
Trump prevails over Catholic bishops in court battle over refugee money
A federal judge refused Tuesday to order the Trump administration to restart money flowing to Catholic organizations that help settle refugees in the U.S. Published March 11, 2025
GOP bans distribution of Chinese newspaper to House offices
Republicans announced Tuesday they have barred the news agent for Capitol Hill from distributing China Daily, a newspaper owned by the Chinese Communist Party, to offices in the House of Representatives. Published March 11, 2025
Judge issues restraining order against Education Department over Trump spending pause
A federal judge on Monday ordered the Education Department to restart spending programs in eight Democrat-led states that had sued over President Trump's spending pause. Published March 10, 2025
‘Unusual secrecy’: Judge orders DOGE to comply with open-record laws
President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency is bound by federal open-records laws, a federal judge decided Monday. Published March 10, 2025
Fraudster gets 17 years after bribing doctors in federal workers’ comp prescription drug scheme
A federal workers' compensation program paid $16,000 for a prescription drug that cost about $15 to the pharmacy, prosecutors said Monday. Published March 10, 2025
Longtime illegal immigrant accused of voting under stolen identity in Maryland
An illegal immigrant who lived in the U.S. under a fraudulent identity for nearly four decades managed to vote in two presidential elections as well as collect Social Security benefits, federal prosecutors said. Published March 10, 2025
Homeland Security reveals self-deportation app
The Department of Homeland Security announced Monday a new mobile phone app designed to help illegal immigrants self-deport. Published March 10, 2025