Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Sean Brune: No estimates on how bad Social Security fraud is
Social Security can't even give a ballpark estimate for how much fraud there is in the program, a top official admitted to Congress on Wednesday — though he insisted they care about the matter and are working to weed out bogus payments, particularly in disability payments. Published April 26, 2017
Donald Trump blasts federal court for blocking his executive order
President Trump and his top aides have lashed out at the federal court that blocked his anti-sanctuary city executive order, with the president calling the ruling "ridiculous" and his press secretary saying sanctuaries like San Francisco have "the blood of dead Americans on their hands." Published April 26, 2017
Donald Trump will continue Obamacare payments, clearing major hurdle on spending bill
The White House told congressional leaders Wednesday that the administration will continue making Obamacare cost-sharing payments, eliminating the biggest sticking point as lawmakers rush to pass a final 2017 spending bill and avert a government shutdown looming at the end of the week. Published April 26, 2017
GOP says Democrats’ ‘poison pills’ are holdup in spending battle
Now that the border wall is off the table, Republicans say Democrats are the ones standing in the way of a deal to avoid a government shutdown at the end of this week. Published April 26, 2017
Sean Spicer: San Francisco, sanctuary cities have ‘blood of dead Americans on their hands:’
The White House lashed out Tuesday night against the federal judge who blocked President Trump's anti-sanctuary city executive order, and said sanctuaries like San Francisco have "the blood of dead Americans on their hands." Published April 25, 2017
Donald Trump’s sanctuary city order ruled likely unconstitutional
A judge blocked President Trump's anti-sanctuary city executive order Tuesday, accusing the White House of wrongly trying to threaten the cities and saying Congress, not the president, gets to decide what strings to attach to federal funds. Published April 25, 2017
DHS to open office for victims of crimes by illegal immigrants
Homeland Security on Wednesday will officially open its office to assist victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants, making good on a promise President Trump made during the campaign. Published April 25, 2017
Harvard, Ivy League researchers violate federal transparency in animal tests
Harvard University researchers pitted mice against each other in what one observer called a "mouse fight club," altering one mouse's genes and then sticking it next to an "intruder" mouse and seeing how long it took for them to go at it. Published April 25, 2017
Illegal immigrants coached on deportation protection
A massive anti-deportation infrastructure has emerged to try to protect illegal immigrants from President Trump's crackdown, with advocacy groups coaching potential deportees on how to massage encounters with police, and lawyers and judges working to shield them from charges that would make them priorities for deportation. Published April 24, 2017
Obama says photos of his high school drug use might have derailed his political rise
Former President Obama said Monday that if his checkered pre-politics life had taken place in today's social media oversaturated world, he might not have been able to win the White House. Published April 24, 2017
Obama says immigration opponents aren’t ‘automatically racist’
Former President Obama told his supporters Monday that they shouldn't immediately assume that someone who wants stricter enforcement of immigration laws is "automatically racist," as he called for a new understanding and engagement in American political life. Published April 24, 2017
Illegal immigrants coached on how to avoid deportation
Immigrant-rights groups released a new video Monday coaching illegal immigrants on their constitutional rights and how to avoid run-ins with federal deportation agents, as advocates gear up to try to thwart as many deportations as possible. Published April 24, 2017
Naturalization delay prevents new citizens from voting
Legal immigrants lined up to apply for U.S. citizenship ahead of last year's election, but the Obama administration let them down, as the agency responsible for approving applications botched the process, leaving tens of thousands of eligible people stuck in limbo. Published April 23, 2017
DOJ to judge: Trump is no lawyer, ignore his ‘Muslim ban’ comments
President Trump's lawyers told a federal judge Friday that he's not a legal expert and his comments on his extreme vetting executive orders can't be taken as gospel truth, as the administration sought to head off yet another legal black eye over his six-country travel ban. Published April 21, 2017
DOJ puts nine sanctuary jurisdictions on notice; New York, Chicago, Philadelphia make list
The Trump administration put nine of the country's top sanctuary jurisdictions on notice Friday that they could soon lose federal funds unless they can prove they are no longer thwarting Homeland Security's efforts to deport illegal immigrants. Published April 21, 2017
Deportation officers have too many cases, says report from Homeland Security
The Obama administration left the government's deportation force in disarray, according to a new report Thursday from the Homeland Security inspector general. The report said deportation officers are so overloaded that they lose track of important cases, leaving illegal immigrants roaming communities when they could have been kicked out. Published April 20, 2017
Donald Trump wants border wall funds in must-pass spending bill
The White House said Thursday that it wants to see money for President Trump's border wall included in the spending bill Congress must pass next week -- a demand Democrats said sours negotiations and makes a government shutdown more likely. Published April 20, 2017
Juan Manuel Montes, ‘Dreamer’, lost status because of ‘illegal actions’ says DHS Sec. Kelly
Juan Manuel Montes gave up his right to be part of President Obama's deportation amnesty through "his illegal actions," Homeland Security Secretary John F. Kelly said Thursday, backing up his agents in a case that's become the biggest test so far of President Trump's get-tough policies. Published April 20, 2017
DHS can’t keep up, leaves risky illegals out on the streets: Probe
The Obama administration left the government's deportation force in disarray, according to a new report Thursday from the Homeland Security inspector general, which found deportation officers are so overloaded that they lose track of important cases, leaving illegal immigrants roaming communities when they could have been kicked out. Published April 20, 2017
Feds say deported ‘Dreamer’ lost status, had criminal convictions
Immigrant rights groups think they've found the right case to highlight their battle against President Trump's get-tough immigration policy, but the situation with Dreamer Juan Manuel Montes-Bojorquez is not the clear-cut case of a clean-cut kid being ousted for no good reason. Published April 19, 2017
