Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Donald Trump’s wall won’t cover entire southwest border: DHS secretary
President Trump's border wall will not stretch all the way from the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean, Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said Wednesday, for the first time putting some limits on the length of the barrier that he is beginning to build. Published April 5, 2017
How losing lottery tickets and alpaca farms turn into billion-dollar tax loopholes
The number of alpaca farms has surged in the U.S., and Sen. Jeff Flake thinks he's figured out the reason: incredibly generous federal tax breaks that literally pay Americans to raise the animals. Published April 5, 2017
Senate begins debate on Neil Gorsuch; Mitch McConnell says he has votes to go ‘nuclear’
The Senate voted Tuesday afternoon to officially begin debating the confirmation of Judge Neil Gorsuch, careening lawmakers toward a "nuclear" showdown later this week over President Trump's first Supreme Court nominee. Published April 4, 2017
Illegal immigration down 67 percent under Donald Trump: Former commissioner
Illegal immigration across the southwest border is down more than 60 percent so far under President Trump, officials revealed Tuesday, even before the first new agent is hired or the first mile of his promised border wall is constructed. Published April 4, 2017
Trump administration warns firms to hire Americans over foreigners
The Justice and Homeland Security departments issued startling warnings Monday to companies applying for the country's most prominent foreign guest-worker program, telling executives to look for Americans to fill those jobs first and promising more investigations and prosecutions of businesses that abuse the system. Published April 3, 2017
Trump lawyers warn tech companies not to discriminate against Americans
The Justice Department issued a startling warning Monday to companies applying for the country's most prominent high-tech guest-worker program, telling executives to be sure they're looking for Americans to fill those jobs first. Published April 3, 2017
Border Patrol pleads for night helicopters
The Homeland Security Department has been reluctant to send helicopters on nighttime missions to aid the Border Patrol, leaving agents to face drug smugglers and illegal immigrants without critical air cover, the chief of the agents' labor union told Congress late last month. Published April 2, 2017
Senate Democrats secure filibuster of Neil Gorsuch, pushing GOP toward ‘nuclear option’
Democrats appeared Sunday to have rallied enough support for a filibuster of Judge Neil Gorsuch, forcing Republicans to prepare to trigger the "nuclear option." Published April 2, 2017
Claire McCaskill backs filibuster of Neil Gorsuch, makes nuclear option likely
Sen. Claire McCaskill announced Friday that she will join Democrats' attempted filibuster of Judge Neil Gorsuch, making it almost certain that Republicans will have to trigger the "nuclear option" to confirm President Trump's first Supreme Court nominee. Published March 31, 2017
DOJ, DHS blast California chief justice who accused immigration agents of ‘stalking’ illegals
California's chief justice accused federal immigration agents of "stalking" illegal immigrants at the state's courthouses, drawing a fierce rebuke this week from Attorney General Jeff Sessions and Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly, who said a top judge should know better than to throw around such a loaded term. Published March 31, 2017
Senate passes bill to let states strip funding from Planned Parenthood
With Vice President Mike Pence casting the tie-breaking vote, the Senate approved a bill Thursday to let states strip federal family planning funds from Planned Parenthood, marking the first successful strike against the country's largest abortion network. Published March 30, 2017
GOP says border wall funds should come from immigrants in U.S.
A group of House Republicans on Thursday introduced the first major bill to fund President Trump's border wall, saying the government could collect billions of dollars by imposing a 2 percent fee on all the money Mexicans and other immigrants send back home. Published March 30, 2017
Senate takes first step to let states strip money from Planned Parenthood
With Vice President Mike Pence voting to break a tie, the Senate took the first step Thursday to strip some federal funds from Planned Parenthood. Published March 30, 2017
Debt to double over next 30 years, economy sputtering: CBO
The federal government will run a $5 trillion deficit three decades from now, the Congressional Budget Office predicted Thursday, saying nearly 30 percent of the country's economy will be consumed by Washington's spending. Published March 30, 2017
Contractors vying to build Donald Trump’s border wall facing furor
He's a Trump supporter living in Mexico, he runs a small company that sells LED lighting, and he wants to be part of building the new U.S. border wall. But Ted Atalla says that's not sitting very well with his compatriots. Published March 29, 2017
Sanctuary cities now number 150; Baltimore added to list
Homeland Security added dozens of jurisdictions to its latest name-and-shame list of sanctuary cities, released Wednesday, including Baltimore, where the police commissioner has said officers would not work with federal agents to enforce immigration laws. Published March 29, 2017
Chuck Schumer says Donald Trump must take first steps on bipartisanship
The Senate's top Democrat said Wednesday that if Republicans want bipartisanship, they'll have to reach out and work with Democrats, rather than writing bills on their own and then coming to ask for support. Published March 29, 2017
Illegal immigrant ‘Dreamer’ wins release; major test case for Trump deportation plans
The illegal immigrant "Dreamer" that ICE agents are trying to deport as a gang member was granted bond by an immigration judge late Tuesday, meaning he'll soon be released while he awaits the rest of his deportation case. Published March 29, 2017
Trump cancels census sexual orientation questions for 2020
The Trump administration canceled plans to probe Americans for their sexual orientation in the 2020 Census, nixing efforts by congressional Democrats who'd wanted a better picture of the country's increasingly complex family and sexual dynamics. Published March 28, 2017
Donald Trump to sign bill rolling back internet privacy protections
The White House signaled Tuesday that President Trump will sign a controversial bill rolling back Obama-era internet privacy rules, drawing the ire of online advocates who said he is failing his first major drain-the-swamp test by allowing broadband companies to sell users' personal browsing histories. Published March 28, 2017
