Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Democrats stumble on border security in bid for immigration deal
Democrats say they are willing to accept tough border security as part of an amnesty for illegal immigrant "Dreamers," but they've offered few substantive ideas for what that means in practice, struggling to move beyond a vague call for more "technology" as the solution. Published January 30, 2018
Border Patrol arrests third ‘Dreamer’ for smuggling illegal immigrants
The Border Patrol announced its third arrest of an illegal immigrant "Dreamer" on smuggling charges this week, saying agents nabbed a 26-year-old man who had picked up four illegal immigrants who sneaked into the U.S. from Mexico. Published January 30, 2018
Tim Ryan leaving State of the Union seat empty in immigration protest
Rep. Tim Ryan said he's leaving his guest seat for Tuesday's State of the Union empty as a protest against President Trump's immigration plans, after a constituent of his was deported earlier this week. Published January 30, 2018
Paul Gosar, Arizona Republican, demands illegal immigrants be arrested at State of the Union
An Arizona congressman asked police to check IDs of guests for Tuesday's State of the Union address and to arrest any illegal immigrants in attendance -- sparking outrage from immigrant-rights activists who labeled the idea "disgusting." Published January 30, 2018
GOP moderates embrace Trump immigration plan
President Trump's immigration plan won a significant statement of support Tuesday from the Republican Main Street Caucus, a group of 75 more moderate-leaning GOP lawmakers who said the president's principles echo their own goals for an immigration deal. Published January 30, 2018
Schumer says Trump fails bipartisan test
Democrats said President Trump will be under pressure Tuesday to prove he can actually forge bipartisanship in Washington, after a year in which they said he tacked to the right, shunning opportunities they gave him to work across party lines. Published January 30, 2018
Paul Ryan: ‘Legitimate questions about FBI’s behavior
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said Tuesday there are "legitimate questions" about the FBI's behavior in targeting members of then-candidate Donald Trump's team, and said that's why the House is pressing ahead with the release of a controversial GOP memo on the subject. Published January 30, 2018
Cartels control 45 percent of Mexico: Senator
Drug cartels control almost as much territory in Mexico as the Islamic State controlled in Syria at the height of its power, a key Republican senator said this week after returning from a trip through the region. Published January 30, 2018
Dreamers arrested, charged with smuggling illegal immigrants
Border Patrol agents in San Diego arrested two illegal immigrant "Dreamers" last week over their purported roles in separate smuggling operations, with one 22-year-old admitting to having been part of a number of such smuggling attempts. Published January 29, 2018
Donald Trump’s SOTU big on immigrants
Dozens of Dreamers will look on from the viewing galleries Tuesday as President Trump uses his State of the Union address to push for a deal that will finally grant them a full pathway to citizenship, coupled with serious border security efforts and major policy changes. Published January 29, 2018
Judge rules illegals have constitutional right to ‘say goodbye’ to family
Illegal immigrants snared by deportation officers have "the freedom to say goodbye" to their families, a federal judge in New York ruled Monday, ordering the government to release a prominent activist to his family. Published January 29, 2018
Trump administration restarts refugee program for 11 high-risk countries
The Trump administration has lifted its effective pause on refugees from 11 "high-risk" countries but is imposing stricter vetting, including in-depth interviews, for applicants from those nations, Homeland Security announced Monday. Published January 29, 2018
House caucus announces new Dreamer fix; similar to bill Trump rejected
President Trump has already rejected the outlines of the plan, but a bipartisan group of House members introduced their own immigration proposal Monday to grant legal status to potentially millions of illegal immigrants, coupled with a small down payment on the border wall. Published January 29, 2018
Donald Trump: GOP can’t pass immigration on its own
President Trump said Monday the GOP lacks the votes to get an immigration deal done so Democrats have veto power over the outlines of a final bill, as he heaped pressure on congressional negotiators. Published January 29, 2018
Seven potential terrorists a day try to enter the U.S.: DHS chief
Homeland Security will demand more information from applicants from high-risk countries before accepting them as refugees, Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen announced Monday as she defended President Trump's steps on immigration and visitor screening. Published January 29, 2018
Donald Trump: Democrats obstruct Dreamers’ amnesty for politics
President Trump said this weekend that he offered a "wonderful deal" to protect illegal immigrant Dreamers and that resistance among Democrats suggests the party would rather have a political issue than a solution. Published January 28, 2018
Jeff Sessions vows to eliminate political bias at Justice Department
Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday he's determined to eliminate "political bias" from the Justice Department, and said the department must be more open to the kind of criticism it's facing from Congress right now. Published January 26, 2018
Illegals commit crimes at double the rate of native-born: Study
The crime rate among illegal immigrants in Arizona is twice that of other residents, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Friday, citing a new report based on conviction data. Published January 26, 2018
Donald Trump’s immigration report card mixed after 1 year
President Trump's immigration makeover turned 1 year old on Thursday --; the anniversary of his first two major executive orders -- and he has notched a decidedly mixed record. Published January 25, 2018
Donald Trump’s supporters on illegal immigration want answers
They hugged him, they endorsed him, they appeared on stage after stage in the campaign with him -- and now the victims of immigrant crime say President Trump delivered a "slap in the face" after he embraced a pathway to citizenship for illegal immigrant Dreamers. Published January 25, 2018