Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
Fairfax County, Virginia, is third-most prolific sanctuary jurisdiction, study finds
Virginia's Fairfax County ranks third on a new list of sanctuary jurisdictions, with the county jail having refused to cooperate on more than 1,150 deportation "detainer" requests from the Department of Homeland Security over the last 2 1/2 years. Published April 9, 2025
Judge orders Trump to restore Associated Press access
A federal judge on Tuesday ordered President Trump to give The Associated Press back its special access to the White House, saying the wire service was wrongly punished for refusing to adopt Mr. Trump's views. Published April 8, 2025
Under Trump, immigration courts are seeing best numbers since 2008
For 17 years, the government had been digging a hole on immigration, steadily building up a massive backlog of 4 million cases in the immigration courts. Since President Trump took office, the government has finally begun to eat into that backlog, cutting it by 115,000 cases since Inauguration Day. Published April 8, 2025
Supreme Court blocks judge who ordered Trump to rehire fired probationary employees
The Supreme Court pushed back Tuesday on another Democrat-appointed judge who had leaped to block one of President Trump's policies, ruling that the lower court used iffy evidence to halt the administration's mass firing of probationary employees. Published April 8, 2025
Supreme Court OKs gang suspect deportations to El Salvador, with some new limits
The Supreme Court delivered a major victory to President Trump on Monday, erasing a lower court ruling that had blocked him from deporting Tren de Aragua gang suspects to El Salvador. Published April 7, 2025
DHS moves to speed border wall construction, waives Endangered Species Act, Clean Air Act
Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem waived some of the country's most iconic environmental protection laws Monday as she sought to cut through delays and speed construction of President Trump's border wall in California. Published April 7, 2025
Supreme Court backs Trump on Alien Enemies Act, Salvadoran’s deportation
The Supreme Court delivered two significant victories to President Trump's immigration agenda Monday erasing blockades that had prevented him from carrying out some high-profile deportations and canceling a deadline for bringing back an already-deported gang suspect. Published April 7, 2025
Feds charge Texas man with threatening to kill ICE agents
A Texas man was arrested and charged with making threats against ICE agents after making social media posts in which he told followers to "shoot them and kill them" and vowed "no mercy for the Gestapo." Published April 7, 2025
DOJ presses the Supreme Court curtail the wall of resistance Trump is facing from judges
The Justice Department on Monday begged the Supreme Court to step in and curtail the wall of resistance President Trump is facing from judges, saying federal courts are overstepping their powers in a rush to block the administration. Published April 7, 2025
Trump goes to Supreme Court after losing appeal of deadline to return deported MS-13 suspect
A federal appeals court refused Monday to cancel the midnight deadline for President Trump to bring back an MS-13 gang suspect who was wrongly deported to El Salvador, with the judges blasting the administration for its handling of the case. Published April 7, 2025
Federal appeals court reverses itself to stop key Trump firings
A federal appeals court reversed course Monday and erased a previous decision that had allowed President Trump to fire the heads of two independent agencies, in a move that once again restores the two officials back to their jobs. Published April 7, 2025
Trump stares down judge’s deadline to un-deport MS-13 suspect
President Trump is staring at a judge-imposed Monday deadline to fly home an illegal immigrant gang suspect whom the administration deported last month and whom the White House has insisted it would never bring back. Published April 6, 2025
Judge slams DHS for ‘irregularity’ in arresting pro-Palestinian migrant
A federal judge allowed a graduate student from Turkey to continue her challenge to her arrest by immigration officers on a Massachusetts street last month, rejecting the Trump administration's attempts to dismiss the case. Published April 4, 2025
Judge cancels Trump’s cuts to Inter-American Foundation, reverses firings
A federal judge on Friday canceled President Trump's attempt to seize control of the Inter-American Foundation, ordering the restoration of its fired CEO and erasing all the decisions made by the White House's pick. Published April 4, 2025
‘Unlawful’: Judge gives Trump ultimatum to return MS-13 suspect from El Salvador
A federal judge gave the government until Monday to bring back an illegal immigrant who was wrongly deported to El Salvador, scolding the Trump administration for its "unlawful removal." Published April 4, 2025
Newsom begs foreign countries to exempt California from anti-Trump tariffs
California Gov. Gavin Newsom pleaded with foreign countries Friday to exempt California from any retaliatory tariffs they slap on U.S. goods, saying his state's businesses shouldn't suffer for President Trump's policies. Published April 4, 2025
Bad faith: Judge deciding whether to hold Trump team in contempt
A federal judge said Thursday that the Trump administration was likely acting in "bad faith" when it carried out deportations of three planeloads of migrants to El Salvador last month despite a temporary restraining order. Published April 3, 2025
States failed to spot $80 billion in erroneous pandemic payments
States have been far too eager to forgive pandemic unemployment fraud and have recovered just 4% of the money fraudsters stole, according to a government audit Thursday. Published April 3, 2025
Federal judge finds Trump’s ‘America First’ slogan is racist toward immigrants
President Trump's immigration policy, like most of his foreign policy, is saturated with references to his campaign slogan "America First" -- and a federal judge this week said it shows illegal and racist "animus" toward immigrants. Published April 3, 2025
Trump administration makes last plea to Supreme Court to allow Venezuelan gang deportations
The Trump administration made its final appeal Wednesday to the Supreme Court to block a lower judge's orders and allow President Trump to resume deporting Venezuelan gang suspects to El Salvador under a law dating back to the 1700s. Published April 2, 2025
