Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Democrats’ defiance of ICE grows after New York mayoral candidate arrested
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a mayoral candidate, was arrested by federal agents Tuesday as he tried to protect a migrant from arrest by federal agents, refusing to back away and demanding to see a warrant. Mr. Lander is the latest prominent Democrat to tussle with Homeland Security. Published June 17, 2025
NYC mayoral candidate Lander arrested while trying to protect migrant
New York City Comptroller Brad Lander, a candidate for mayor, was arrested by federal agents Tuesday as he accompanied a migrant from an immigration court hearing and raised objections when officers moved in to arrest the man. Published June 17, 2025
Texas identifies 33 potential noncitizen votes in 2024 election
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has opened investigations into 33 people he says voted in the 2024 election even though they may be noncitizens. Published June 17, 2025
Trump upends ‘mass deportation’ order, tells ICE to go easy on ‘heartland’
President Trump has issued new orders to his deportation force, telling ICE he wants them to give the "heartland" a break while concentrating on cities as they move to carry out his demand for mass deportations. Published June 16, 2025
Judge dismisses lawsuit seeking to restore $400M in grant funding to Columbia University
A federal judge dismissed a lawsuit Monday brought by university professors and the American Federation of Teachers trying to get the administration to restore $400 million in federal grant money to Columbia University. The judge said the case was ill-conceived. Published June 16, 2025
Trump’s family felt he had to win November’s election to thwart Democrats’ legal wrath, says book
In 2023 and 2024, Donald Trump's family came to the sobering conclusion that Democrats' goal was to fatally poison the MAGA movement -- and to do that, they had to put the former president in jail. Published June 16, 2025
National Guard still needed to quell L.A. protests, ICE says
National Guard troops have been riding along on "most" of the immigration arrest operations ICE has attempted in Los Angeles over the last week, a top Homeland Security official said Monday, defending President Trump's call-up of the National Guard. Published June 16, 2025
Trump directs ICE to deport illegal immigrants from cities, not ‘heartland’
President Trump ordered the government's deportation force to focus on scouring cities for illegal immigrants to deport but pay less attention to America's "heartland," where he said there's just not the same need to boot people. Published June 15, 2025
Country gets first up-close look at the case against Kilmar Abrego Garcia
The "Maryland man" finally got his first day in court, with Kilmar Abrego Garcia appearing in an orange jailhouse jumpsuit before a federal magistrate judge in Tennessee to plead not guilty to a charge of human smuggling. Published June 15, 2025
Judge says DHS can keep Mahmoud Khalil, pro-Palestinian protester, in detention
Mahmoud Khalil, the Palestinian student who became the most prominent anti-Israel activist targets for deportation by the Trump administration, thought he was on the verge of being released Friday. Published June 13, 2025
Abrego Garcia pleads not guilty to migrant smuggling
Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran migrant who was at the heart of a major deportation legal battle, pleaded not guilty Friday to migrant smuggling charges, and the government was making its case to a Tennessee judge Friday for him to remain in detention while awaiting his trial. Published June 13, 2025
Four migrants escaped ICE jail in New Jersey
Four migrants escaped from a controversial ICE detention facility in New Jersey this week, Homeland Security admitted Friday. Published June 13, 2025
Afghan who entered U.S. under Biden’s ‘parole’ pleads guilty to terror plot
Nasir Tawhedi, an Afghan man who came to the U.S. as part of President Biden's massive airlift in 2021, agreed to plead guilty to charges of assisting a terrorist organization and attempting to obtain weapons ahead of a planned attack on Election Day last year. Published June 13, 2025
Feds won’t free Mahmoud Khalil, challenge judge to order release of Palestinian activist student
Federal officials told a judge Friday they will not release Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian student the administration is trying to deport, saying they have legal reasons to keep him in detention. Published June 13, 2025
Judge blocks Trump’s firings at safety commission
President Trump didn't have the power to fire members of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, a federal judge ruled Friday, ordering the three ousted people to be restored to their jobs. Published June 13, 2025
Senate GOP budget plan gives Trump full funding for border wall proposal
Senate Budget Chairman Lindsey Graham released a budget plan Friday that includes full funding for President Trump's border wall proposal, seeking to head off a counterproposal that would offer just a fraction of the money Mr. Trump wants. Published June 13, 2025
Judge blocks Trump’s election executive order on noncitizen voting, counting late mail-in ballots
A federal judge issued a broad injunction Friday against President Trump's executive order trying to impose new rules on elections, saying only Congress can make the kinds of changes he had in mind. Published June 13, 2025
Judge rules Trump’s troop deployment illegal; appeals court puts ruling on hold
A federal judge ruled Thursday against President Trump's decision to federalize National Guard troops and use them to quell protests in Los Angeles, but an appeals court quickly put that decision on hold. Published June 12, 2025
Judge questions Trump’s use of troops in California
A federal judge seemed skeptical of President Trump's ability to deploy the National Guard to quell unrest in Los Angeles over the objections of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, saying Thursday he was searching for ways to draw lines. Published June 12, 2025
‘Treasonous laws’: GOP blasts sanctuary-state governors, votes to overturn D.C. law
The House voted Thursday to revoke the District's sanctuary policies as Republicans railed against sanctuary governors, saying they have blood on their hands for having protected illegal immigrants who went on to victimize Americans. Published June 12, 2025
