Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Michael Flynn resigns as Donald Trump’s national security adviser
The White House's national security adviser resigned Monday night and President Trump tapped retired Lt. Gen. Joseph Keith Kellogg Jr. to serve as acting adviser in his place, in the first major shakeup of the still-young administration. Published February 13, 2017
Court: Immigrants who vote illegally can be deported
Non-citizens who register to vote are breaking federal laws and can be deported, an appeals court affirmed in a new ruling Monday, issuing its decision just as President Trump raised the profile of the issue, asking for a study of illegal voting. Published February 13, 2017
DHS nabs 680 illegals in first major raids of Trump era
Homeland Security netted more than 680 immigrants last week in the first major series of raids since President Trump took office, sparking a feverish response from advocates who said agents went after rank-and-file migrants whom the Obama administration had considered off limits. Published February 13, 2017
Terror convicts came from countries targeted for extreme vetting
At least 72 convicted terrorists came from the seven countries President Trump targeted in his extreme vetting executive order, according to a new report this weekend that directly undercut part of the courts' rulings halting the program. Published February 12, 2017
Neil Gorsuch’s opinions never overturned by Supreme Court: Report
In more than a decade on a federal appeals court, Judge Neil Gorsuch never had one of his own written opinions overturned by the Supreme Court, according to the questionnaire he delivered to Capitol Hill over the weekend in preparation for an eventual confirmation hearing. Published February 12, 2017
Donald Trump vows cheaper border wall
President Trump said Saturday that he hasn't begun to negotiate the costs of his planned border wall, vowing to use his deal-making skills to get a better price than the latest estimate of more than $20 billion reported earlier this week. Published February 11, 2017
Illegal immigrants rights threaten by Trump order, appeals court says
The appeals court that upheld a block on President Trump's extreme vetting executive order Thursday said part of the reason it was likely illegal was that he curtailed the rights of illegal immigrants. Published February 9, 2017
Court promises decision on whether Trump policy is ‘Muslim ban’
A federal appeals court said Thursday that it's still an open question whether President Trump's extreme vetting executive order amounts to an illegal "Muslim ban" of the sort he promised during the presidential campaign. Published February 9, 2017
Refugees entering U.S. doubled in rate since ruling on Trump travel ban
The State Department has more than doubled the rate of refugees from Iraq, Syria and other suspect countries in the week since a federal judge's reprieve, in what analysts said appears to be a push to admit as many people as possible before another court puts the program back on ice. Published February 9, 2017
Trump travel ban on Muslim nations loses in federal appeals court
A federal appeals court upheld a temporary restraining order blocking President Trump's extreme vetting policy Thursday night, delivering another legal setback for the new administration. Published February 9, 2017
Duncan Hunter, Calif. congressman, to deny funding for sanctuaries in his district
A prominent congressman said Thursday that he won't help advance any funding requests from sanctuary cities, saying he's taking a personal stand in trying to stop jurisdictions that refuse to cooperate in deporting illegal immigrants. Published February 9, 2017
Chuck Schumer says Neil Gorsuch’s dismay over Donald Trump not enough
Democrats are calling Judge Neil Gorsuch's dismay at President Trump's rhetorical attacks on federal judges a "ruse," saying it seems to be a political move designed to appease critics rather than a heartfelt worry about a runaway executive. Published February 9, 2017
Jeff Sessions confirmed as attorney general after bitter Senate fight
The Senate approved Jeff Sessions as attorney general Wednesday, installing one of President Trump's biggest backers at the head of the Justice Department after one of the nastiest confirmation battles in a generation. Published February 8, 2017
Donald Trump warns of ‘big increase’ from danger spots after extreme vetting halted
President Trump warned Wednesday of a surge in visitors from "certain areas" in the wake of court rulings halting his extreme vetting order. Published February 8, 2017
Charles Schumer accuses GOP of ‘shocking double standard’ in silencing Elizabeth Warren
Republicans singled out Sen. Elizabeth Warren for mistreatment, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer charged Wednesday, saying her speech on the Senate floor that garnered a punishment was far less egregious than the GOP's own violations. Published February 8, 2017
Dems rally behind Elizabeth Warren after GOP voted to cut her mic
Liberal groups rallied around Sen. Elizabeth Warren, vowing to redouble their resistance to Republicans, while her colleagues took up her cause, repeatedly reading on the floor the same words that got Ms. Warren into trouble in the first place -- words taken from a 1986 statement by Coretta Scott King, widow of civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. Published February 8, 2017
Donald Trump’s ‘Muslim ban’ promise is ‘evidence’ against executive order: Court
President Trump's own loose campaign rhetoric may be coming back to bite him, after a federal court said his brash call for a Muslim ban is "potential evidence" that could be used against him in the legal battle over his new extreme vetting executive order. Published February 8, 2017
Elizabeth Warren punished for attacks on Jeff Sessions
Fed up with what they said were out-of-bounds Democratic attacks on President Trump's attorney general nominee, Republicans struck back Tuesday night, moving to punish Sen. Elizabeth Warren for inappropriate behavior on the floor of the Senate. Published February 7, 2017
Donald Trump lawyers ask court to reinstate extreme vetting order
The administration defended President Trump's extreme vetting executive order in both the courts and Congress on Tuesday, saying that while the rollout may not have gone well, the president acted within his legal powers. Published February 7, 2017
GOP breaks attempted filibuster on Jeff Sessions, sets up final Wednesday vote
Republicans broke Democrats' attempted filibuster Tuesday and put Sen. Jeff Sessions on a glide path to becoming the next attorney general, with a final vote slated for Wednesday. Published February 7, 2017