Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
ICE down to 1,000 people in Minnesota as surge ends; will be below 500 later this week
Homeland Security has now withdrawn the vast majority of immigration officers it had surged to Minnesota, leaving fewer than 1,000 ICE personnel still there. Published February 23, 2026
Catholic leaders pushed Newsom to pardon attempted murderer as defiance of ICE
California Gov. Gavin Newsom was relying on Catholic Church leaders' assurances when he pardoned an attempted murder convict, protecting him from deportation. Published February 23, 2026
Judge blocks release of special counsel Smith’s report on Trump classified documents case
A federal judge blocked former special counsel Jack Smith's attempt to release a damning anti-Trump report to Congress, ruling Monday that because Mr. Smith was never properly appointed to the job, his attempts to complete the document were done outside of the law. Published February 23, 2026
Trump tariff agenda tripped up by Supreme Court decision
President Trump loves to take unilateral action, but the Supreme Court has delivered a stark message about clear limits to how far he can go without getting Congress on board. Published February 22, 2026
Newsom’s latest pardon shields attempted murder convict from ICE deportation
California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued a pardon Friday to Somboon Phaymany, erasing his 1997 conviction on 10 counts of premeditated attempted murder and effectively shielding him from being deported by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Published February 21, 2026
Louisiana wins appeal to post Ten Commandments in schools
A federal appeals court gave the green light Friday to a law pushing the posting of the Ten Commandments in public schools in Louisiana, saying the challenge to the policy was not yet "ripe" for a decision. Published February 20, 2026
Judge gives reprieve to Trump after slavery exhibits already restored to Philadelphia park
A federal appeals court judge delivered a brief reprieve to the Trump administration Friday in its battle to take down slavery exhibits at the President's House park site in Philadelphia. Published February 20, 2026
DHS wants to block asylum-seekers from working, cutting incentives to illegal immigration
Homeland Security announced a revised regulation Friday that limits the ability of migrants to get work permits for the period after they apply for asylum but have not yet been granted it. Published February 20, 2026
Federal prosecutor tells parents to warn their kids about anti-ICE behavior
Parents are supposed to talk to their kids about drugs, sex -- and now ICE? Published February 20, 2026
Montgomery County agrees to pay parents who sued to stop LGBTQ school lessons
Montgomery County in Maryland has agreed to pay the parents who had to sue to force the schools to allow their kids to opt out of pro-LGBTQ lessons. Published February 20, 2026
Appeals court blocks California’s ICE identification law
A federal appeals court put a temporary hold Thursday of California's new law that would require ICE and other federal law enforcement officers to wear something on their uniforms that either identifies them by name or badge number. Published February 19, 2026
Trump cracks down on illegal immigrants getting housing assistance
Two Trump Cabinet departments announced changes Thursday aimed at making it tougher for unauthorized immigrants to claim public housing benefits. Published February 19, 2026
New DHS refugee policy mandates additional security check, allows for arrest after a year in U.S.
The Trump administration has adopted a new policy demanding refugees go through a new security check after a year in the U.S., and declaring that they can be arrested and held in detention until they are shown to be clear of red flags. Published February 19, 2026
DOGE defeat: Congress has rejected most of Trump’s spending cuts
President Trump and his DOGE swung for the fences last year in calling for big spending cuts, but with Congress now done with most of the 2026 budget bills, it's become clear he barely got the ball in play. Published February 19, 2026
Mexican timeshare owners may be funding terrorist cartel, feds warn
The Treasury Department delivered a new warning to Americans who own or are looking to buy timeshares in Mexico, saying Thursday that a major smuggling cartel has infiltrated the market and is siphoning the money to its own nefarious ends. Published February 19, 2026
Trump’s grand jury trouble: Citizens increasingly resist DOJ’s attempts to indict
A new count by the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers suggests that federal prosecutors are facing increasing resistance from grand juries refusing to hand up indictments in highly charged cases. And even when an indictment is secured, trial juries and judges are refusing to convict. Published February 18, 2026
Colorado faces ballot initiative to join redistricting surge, draw Democrat-friendly map
A group of Colorado voters launched a bid Wednesday to rewrite the state's congressional map and erase as many as three GOP-held seats, moving to counter Republican gains from mid-decade redistricting elsewhere. Published February 18, 2026
Man dies in ICE custody in Chicago area
A 59-year-old man died this week while in the custody of ICE, marking the seventh death so far in 2026, Senate Democrats said Wednesday. Published February 18, 2026
ICE saw 353% increase in use of force after Trump took over
ICE's use of force incidents skyrocketed after President Trump took over last year, according to new agency documents released Tuesday that show officers grappling with the early phases of the White House's call for mass deportations. Published February 17, 2026
Feds warn states to back off on attempts to regulate prediction markets
The Trump administration told states on Tuesday to knock off their attempts to regulate prediction markets, where people can bet on everything from political races to the weather, saying Uncle Sam is the only one with that power. Published February 17, 2026
