Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
ICE, CBP wrongly using taxpayer-funded security, ‘fleet’ of vehicles: Audit
The heads of two federal immigration law enforcement divisions assigned themselves security details and are using "a fleet" of government vehicles to get to and from work despite in violation of the law, an inspector general said in a report released Thursday. Published September 21, 2017
DOJ backs former Sheriff Arpaio, tells judge to erase conviction
The Trump administration renewed its defense of former Sheriff Joe Arpaio on Thursday, telling a federal judge that not only has the lawman been pardoned, but that his original conviction needs to be stripped from the record altogether. Published September 21, 2017
Bernie Sanders calls war on terror ‘a disaster,’ blames Donald Trump for ‘reckless’ policies
Sen. Bernard Sanders called the war on terrorism "a disaster," blasted the U.S. military-industrial complex and stepped up criticism of President Trump, saying he is too belligerent toward Iran and North Korea while not harsh enough on Russia. Published September 21, 2017
DACA denial rate doubles under Donald Trump administration
The Homeland Security Department has doubled the rate of denials of Dreamers' amnesty applications, according to numbers released Wednesday that suggest the administration had been taking a harder line even before President Trump's announcement this month that he would phase out the DACA program altogether. Published September 20, 2017
Philadelphia finds hundreds of illegal voters
Hundreds of non-citizens were registered to vote in Philadelphia over the last decade, and at least 90 of them actually ended up casting ballots that should never have been allowed, City Commissioner Al Schmidt said Wednesday, adding more fuel to complaints of bogus voting in U.S. elections. Published September 20, 2017
Nancy Pelosi: Dreamers’ parents ‘did a great thing’ in sneaking them into U.S.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said Wednesday that illegal immigrant parents who brought their children to the U.S. in defiance of the law "did a great thing," giving the country an infusion of successful young people. Published September 20, 2017
Senators working to change internet liability law after Backpage.com case
Senators are laying the groundwork for a major change in internet liability law, saying their hand has been forced by cases like Backpage.com, which saw the web's former top adult-services site accused of knowingly letting underage girls be sold for sex. Published September 19, 2017
Lisa Jackson, Ex-Obama EPA chief, blasts Trump transparency
Former EPA Administrator Lisa Jackson, who used a secret email alias during her time at the agency, lashed out Tuesday at the Trump administration for destroying the agency's credibility by being "non-transparent." Published September 19, 2017
Canada sees surge of asylum seekers as Haitians flee U.S. to head north
The number of people streaming from the U.S. to Canada seeking asylum skyrocketed last month, according to the latest Canadian government statistics released Tuesday. Published September 19, 2017
Luis Gutierrez arrested in immigration protest outside Trump Tower
Rep. Luis V. Gutierrez was arrested Tuesday for protesting at Trump Tower in New York over the president's decision to phase out the Obama-era deportation amnesty for Dreamers, the congressman's office confirmed. Published September 19, 2017
Judge in Joe Arpaio case skeptical of erasing conviction
The federal judge handling former Sheriff Joe Arpaio's case signaled Thursday she's not inclined to erase his conviction from his record -- though she did seem inclined to accept the pardon President Trump gave. Published September 15, 2017
Dreamer chain migration would grow immigrant number
Granting citizenship rights to 700,000 Dreamers really means giving a foothold in the U.S. to perhaps 1.5 million other future immigrants, according to analysts who urged Congress to weigh the implications fully before pressing ahead with a mass legalization program. Published September 14, 2017
Paul Ryan on ‘Dreamers’: ‘There’s no agreement’
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan on Thursday shot down the notion that President Trump has reached the outlines of a deal to legalize illegal immigrant "Dreamers," saying flatly that "there's no agreement." Published September 14, 2017
FBI reversal: Bureau will release more Hillary Clinton investigation docs
Weeks after saying there wasn't enough public interest in Hillary Clinton's email case, the FBI's decision has been modified, and the bureau will publicly release more details of its obstruction of justice probe into the former secretary of state. Published September 14, 2017
House approves crackdown on MS-13, other immigrant gangs
The House approved a bill Thursday to speed up deportation of immigrants deemed to be part of gangs, calling it a critical step in trying to stem the rise of MS-13 and other violent transnational criminal organizations whose violent reach is increasing. Published September 14, 2017
Donald Trump vows to work with Democrats to legalize Dreamers, says ‘the wall will come later’
President Trump said Thursday that he is working with Democratic leaders on a plan to legalize illegal immigrant Dreamers, and said he won't insist on funding his border wall as part of it, saying that "will come later." Published September 14, 2017
Chuck Schumer, Nancy Pelosi announce deal with Trump to protect young immigrants
Democratic leaders emerged from a dinner meeting Wednesday night with President Trump to say they had worked out a deal to grant permanent protections to young illegal immigrants -- without having to accept funding for the president's proposed border wall. Published September 13, 2017
Joe Arpaio’s pardon called unconstitutional
President Trump's pardon for former Sheriff Joe Arpaio may not be the last word in the case. Published September 13, 2017
DHS tells feds to delete Russian company’s software from U.S. computers
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke ordered federal agencies to identify and stop use of any products or services supplied by AO Kaspersky Lab, saying the U.S. fears the company's ties to Russian intelligence operatives. Published September 13, 2017
Senate ducks new debate on war on terror
The Senate voted to keep fighting the global war on terror under the 2001 framework aimed at striking al Qaeda and the Taliban in Afghanistan, yet again delaying what most analysts say is a long-overdue update to tailor the war to the current threats of the Islamic State and lone-wolf attacks. Published September 13, 2017
