Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Eagle Scout who burned U.S. flag in anti-Israel protest at Union Station gets probation
Michael Snow Jr., who torched an American flag as part of anti-Israel protests at Union Station in Washington last summer, was slapped with a 4-month probation sentence. Published May 9, 2025
Courts keep ruling against Trump on foreign student deportations
A federal judge ordered Homeland Security to immediately release Rumeysa Ozturk, a university student from Turkey whose arrest in March went viral. Published May 9, 2025
TSA’s facial recognition is better than 99% effective
The government's civil liberties watchdog gave a relatively clean bill of health to the TSA's use of facial recognition technology to screen travelers, saying it's strikingly effective and is largely immune to abuse. Published May 9, 2025
Trump fires Librarian of Congress Carla Hayden
President Trump fired Carla Hayden as the librarian of Congress on Thursday, sparking the ire of congressional Democrats who said he was ousting a groundbreaking professional from a critical nonpartisan job. Published May 8, 2025
DHS says 600,000 migrants turned around in Mexico after Trump took over
As many as 600,000 migrants who had been heading for the U.S. turned around when they realized President Trump had closed the border, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem told senators on Thursday, citing information from Mexican officials. Published May 8, 2025
FEMA chief out after disagreeing with Trump on the future of the agency
Cameron Hamilton was out Thursday as acting head of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a day after he delivered testimony to Congress where he disagreed with President Trump's plans to wind down the agency. Published May 8, 2025
Trump asks justices to OK broad presidential powers on immigration
The administration went to the Supreme Court on Thursday to demand the justices reverse a "destabilizing trend" from lower courts that have rushed to meddle in the president's immigration policies. Published May 8, 2025
DOGE is now helping DOJ sniff out illegal voters
President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency has turned its attention to illegal voting, scouring records to discover -- and report to federal prosecutors -- the names of noncitizens who have registered and voted in U.S. elections. Published May 8, 2025
Noem unloads on Van Hollen over ‘advocacy for a known terrorist’
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem excoriated Sen. Chris Van Hollen on Thursday for his defense of deported MS-13 gang suspect Kilmar Abrego Garcia, saying his "advocacy for a known terrorist is alarming." Published May 8, 2025
Judge rules Trump can’t use Pentagon to get around deportation restrictions
A federal judge told the Trump administration Wednesday that it cannot evade his new rules on carrying out deportations by having them done by the Defense Department rather than Homeland Security. Published May 7, 2025
Trump’s ‘Terminator’: How Stephen Miller became the left’s most despised adversary
Liberals have erupted in dread as President Trump flirts with tapping Stephen Miller to become his national security adviser. Published May 7, 2025
Court orders return of Turkish student to Vermont from detention in Louisiana following DHS arrest
A federal appeals court instructed the government to return Rumeysa Ozturk to Vermont so she can challenge her arrest and potential deportation, rejecting the administration's attempt to keep her in detention in Louisiana. Published May 7, 2025
Second court rules Trump broke law with Alien Enemies Act deportations
A federal judge on Tuesday castigated President Trump for deporting Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador, saying he stretched the Alien Enemies Act beyond its breaking point in order to justify the ousters. Published May 6, 2025
Intelligence community disputes ties between Tren de Aragua and Venezuela’s government
The Venezuelan government is not controlling Tren de Aragua, according to a newly declassified U.S. intelligence community memo that undercuts President Trump's argument for using the Alien Enemies Act to deport TdA members. Published May 6, 2025
Supreme Court lets Trump ban transgender people from military service while litigation unfolds
The Supreme Court has allowed President Trump's ban on transgender people in the military to take effect -- for now. Published May 6, 2025
DHS chief says flyers without required ID may face extra screening at airports
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem warned Tuesday that unprepared travelers may face some inconveniences but Real ID's strict identification requirements will begin as scheduled at airports on Wednesday. Published May 6, 2025
Trump has booted 11,000 IRS employees so far, and counting
President Trump has given buyouts or tried to terminate employment of more than 11,000 people at the IRS, with a disproportionate share of those coming from the agency's ranks of auditors, an inspector general said Monday. Published May 5, 2025
ICE takes custody of illegal after Fairfax County DA drops child rape, kidnapping case
ICE has swooped in to take custody of an illegal immigrant accused of trying to kidnap and rape a 4-year-old after Fairfax County prosecutors dropped the case against him. Published May 5, 2025
DHS to pay illegal immigrants $1,000 to self-deport
Homeland Security said Monday that it will pay a $1,000 reward to illegal immigrants who self-deport out of the U.S. Published May 5, 2025
DeSantis sets pace for GOP governors on immigration
President Trump, working to curb illegal immigration on the federal level, has found an unparalleled partner in Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who is leading the country's preeminent test of immigration enforcement at the state level. Published May 4, 2025
