Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
‘Free to leave’: Agents in California say some illegal immigrants walk away without arrest
"Gotaways" were first, but the Border Patrol is now corralling "walkaways" -- illegal immigrants at the border fence where agents are too overwhelmed to make arrests. Published March 25, 2024
White House blasts new ban on flying BLM, gay pride flags at embassies
President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion spending bill into law Saturday but not without regrets, as the White House blasted a provision tucked inside the legislation that will prevent his State Department from flying Black Lives Matter or gay pride flags at foreign embassies. Published March 23, 2024
Illegal immigration rose in February; 11 more terrorism suspects caught
Illegal immigration ticked up in February, with the Department of Homeland Security reporting more than 256,000 encounters with unauthorized migrants. Published March 22, 2024
Border Patrol employee arrested on migrant smuggling charge
A Border Patrol employee was caught trying to cross the U.S.-Mexico boundary with an illegal immigrant in his vehicle. Published March 22, 2024
Congress’ $1.2 trillion spending bill leaves both sides wanting more
Congress' new spending bill adopts a Trump-style approach to immigration spending, boosting funding for border enforcement and detention, but it forgoes the big policy changes that Republicans say are needed to solve the migrant crisis. Published March 21, 2024
Mexico asks U.S. court to strike down Texas immigration law
Mexico filed a brief in a U.S. court Thursday asking judges to block Texas from enforcing its strict new immigration law, saying it's unfairly frightening Mexicans who live in the state. Published March 21, 2024
Prince George’s County to reexamine its sanctuary policy
Prince George's County is rethinking its sanctuary policy limiting cooperation with Homeland Security after being dinged by repeated reports of undocumented immigrant criminals it shielded from deportation. Published March 21, 2024
New spending bill would bar State Department from flying BLM and pride flags at embassies
The new spending bill Congress is rushing to complete would prevent the State Department from flying gay-rights or other politically charged flags at any facilities, including U.S. embassies. Published March 21, 2024
Texas border law back on hold as appeals court doubts states’ power to deport illegal immigrants
A federal appeals court cast doubt Wednesday on Texas' stiff new immigration law that tries to create a state deportation system, with the judges suggesting it would trample on the federal government's prerogatives. Published March 20, 2024
CBO: Republican spending deal improved Uncle Sam’s fiscal outlook
The federal budget is headed for a world of pain in the coming decades, the Congressional Budget Office projected Wednesday, but said things are looking a little better because of the spending cuts the GOP pressured President Biden into making last year. Published March 20, 2024
Texas immigration law back on hold after late-night action by appeals court
A federal appeals court moved late Tuesday to erase a previous order that had allowed Texas' strict new anti-illegal immigration law to take effect, once again putting it on ice. Published March 19, 2024
DHS praises ‘newly cooperative’ Montgomery County for honoring deportation ‘detainer’ requests
Montgomery County has honored two deportation "detainer" requests turning over illegal immigrants accused of sex abuse crimes, the Department of Homeland Security said Tuesday. Published March 19, 2024
Supreme Court allows Texas’ stiff anti-illegal immigration law to take effect
The Supreme Court allowed Texas' new law creating state penalties for illegal immigration to go into effect after erasing a hold the justices had placed. Published March 19, 2024
Supreme Court clears way for Muslim American to challenge No Fly List in lawsuit against FBI
The Supreme Court cleared the way Tuesday for a man to pursue a lawsuit against the FBI over its secret No Fly List, rejecting the bureau's attempts to shield the list from scrutiny. Published March 19, 2024
Scammer who scattered victim’s body in San Francisco Bay and stole $3.9 million gets prison term
A California woman was sentenced to 20 years in federal prison for scamming nearly $4 million from wealthy people, including one man whose body she crushed and dropped piece by piece in a bay to hide her theft of his estate. Published March 19, 2024
IRS commissioner sees digital salvation for ‘iconically unpopular’ agency
Commissioner Daniel Werfel vowed to usher the IRS into a new digital nirvana, saying Monday that his vision is for Americans to be able to do all of their communication with the tax agency online without ever needing to call or send a letter. Published March 18, 2024
Florida lawmakers ask Biden to send U.S. Navy to stop Haitian boat migrants
Congressional Republicans on Monday asked President Biden to authorize the U.S. Navy to blockade the Florida coast to stop an expected mass migration of people fleeing Haiti. Published March 18, 2024
Supreme Court worries about limiting feds’ interactions with social media companies
Supreme Court justices seemed inclined Monday to give the government wide latitude to secretly pressure social media companies to silence dissenting voices, saying officials have the right to strenuously argue their case to the platforms. Published March 18, 2024
Family of victim of illegal immigrant crime: ‘Our young women are at huge risk’
Wendy Corcoran, whose son was killed by an undocumented immigrant in a car crash in 2018, said she's worried many more families will experience the same heartbreak as she did. Published March 18, 2024
Supreme Court allows New Mexico to bar local official over participation in Jan. 6 riot
The Supreme Court allowed New Mexico on Monday to block a man from holding any office by ruling he was part of an insurrection due to his participation in the mob assault on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Published March 18, 2024
