Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Trump goes all-in on deportation fight, claims national security powers
President Trump cloaked himself in core national security powers Monday as his lawyers told federal courts to butt out while he deports suspected gang members. Published March 17, 2025
Justice Dept. cites Trump’s commander-in-chief powers to defend deportations to El Salvador
President Trump was using his commander-in-chief powers when he had the military fly Venezuelan gang suspects to El Salvador, government lawyers said Monday, arguing that a judge has no right to interfere and stop the planes. Published March 17, 2025
DHS says Lebanese doctor blocked at airport had photos of Hezbollah leaders
Homeland Security officers found photos of Hezbollah "militants" on the phone of a Lebanese doctor, causing them to deny her entry and to ultimately have her deported from the U.S., the government told a federal judge on Monday. Published March 17, 2025
Appeals court refuses to block order forcing Trump administration to rehire fired workers
A federal appellate court said Monday it will not come to President Trump's rescue and block a lower court order forcing him to rehire thousands of probationary workers who were fired. Published March 17, 2025
‘Oopsie’: Leaders laugh at judge’s order to stop deportations
El Salvador's president and U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio appeared to celebrate a deportation flight that carried illegal immigrants out of the country even after a federal judge asked for the plane to be turned around. Published March 17, 2025
As ICE arrests increase, illegal immigrants are fighting back
Federal officers are pursuing illegal immigrants, and the illegal immigrants are increasingly fighting back, according to court documents and officials who describe a surge in assaults on law enforcement. Published March 16, 2025
Biden WH gave FBI Trump, Pence cellphones for 2020 election probe
The Biden White House gave the FBI cellphones that had belonged to President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, top senators revealed as part of new evidence questioning the voracious approach the bureau took in trying to investigate Mr. Trump once he left office. Published March 14, 2025
Trump administration puts IRS’ popular Direct File program ‘under review’
The IRS announced a "strategic pause" on its technology upgrades Friday, saying it wants to review all its systems to see what should be allowed to continue -- including the popular Direct File program. Published March 14, 2025
Columbia University student involved in Palestinian protests self-deports
An Indian citizen who participated in pro-Palestinian protests at Columbia University has self-deported, the Department of Homeland Security announced. Published March 14, 2025
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
