Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Immigrant group tells illegals not to sign up for Obama deportation amnesty
A prominent immigrant rights advocacy group said Wednesday that it is telling folks not to sign up anymore for President Obama's 2012 deportation amnesty, saying the risks of turning over information to the Trump administration are simply too great, particularly after recent raids. Published February 15, 2017
Andrew Puzder, Trump’s labor secretary pick, withdraws nomination
Andrew Puzder withdrew from consideration to be labor secretary Wednesday after it became clear that he would struggle to win confirmation amid allegations of wife abuse and employing an illegal immigrant as a maid. Published February 15, 2017
Top Republican says wall can be built with money seized from cartels
Money seized from Mexican drug cartels would be used to build the border wall, under a new bill introduced Wednesday by Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner Jr., the House Republican who oversees immigration. Published February 15, 2017
Dems demand independent counsel to probe Michael Flynn, Donald Trump
Democrats demanded Wednesday that an independent special counsel be appointed to probe the Trump White House and potential ties to Russia, saying Attorney General Jeff Sessions is too tainted to oversee the investigation. Published February 15, 2017
Law allows Donald Trump to strip visas from countries who won’t take back deported citizens
Even if President Trump can't convince the courts to approve his extreme vetting executive order, he may have another tool at his disposal that would allow him to strip visas from some of the seven countries he's trying to target, crackdown supporters say. Published February 14, 2017
Daniel Ramirez, illegal immigrant Dreamer, arrest sparks protests
Immigration officials said Tuesday they are detaining an illegal immigrant Dreamer because of his gang ties, sparking a new round of protests from immigrant-rights groups who said President Trump is breaking his own promises by trying to deport the young man. Published February 14, 2017
Paul Ryan: Donald Trump right to oust Michael Flynn
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan said President Trump made the right move in ousting his national security adviser this week, but said he's not going to prejudge any of the other details about the story. Published February 14, 2017
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
