Stephen Dinan
Articles by Stephen Dinan
IRS says it’s fixed flaws that allowed taxpayers’ data to be stolen
IRS Commissioner Daniel Werfel promised taxpayers a much smoother experience this year than in the past and insisted to Congress on Thursday that the agency has fixed the security holes that allowed a contractor to steal tens of thousands of taxpayers' personal information. Published February 15, 2024
Feds release migrant kids without completing safety checks
The Biden administration cut corners in its rush to get migrant kids out of government shelters, failing to complete full checks on the sponsors who came forward to collect the children, a federal inspector general reported Thursday, warning that kids may have ended up placed in unsafe environments. Published February 15, 2024
ICE seizes two Venezuelan gang members after NYC police assault
The Homeland Security Department has belatedly swooped in to take custody of two migrants accused of taking part in the mob attack on police officers in New York City and says they are part of a violent Venezuelan gang that is quickly spreading in the U.S. Published February 15, 2024
Biden grants deportation amnesty to Palestinians, citing dangerous conditions back home
President Biden flexed his executive powers Wednesday to grant a stay of deportation to Palestinians in the U.S. who lose their legal status, saying conditions back home have deteriorated too badly to force them to return. Published February 14, 2024
Border upside: Surge of illegal immigrants helped U.S. economy avoid recession
The Biden administration issued nearly 3.5 million work passes last year to migrants, many of them caught and released at the border, and provided an unexpected boost to the economy. Published February 14, 2024
House GOP launches probe of IRS over lenient treatment for liberal groups
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer is investigating the IRS for going easy on liberal nonprofit groups, saying it appears the agency is letting them engage in lobbying and politics despite registering as tax-exempt charities. Published February 14, 2024
Mayorkas impeached: House makes history with vote to embarrass DHS secretary
The House voted Tuesday to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for mismanagement of the border, making him the first-ever sitting Cabinet secretary to be stained with impeachment. Published February 13, 2024
Border chaos eased in January; DHS cites seasonal patterns, increased enforcement
Illegal immigration at the southern border dropped in January as the holiday season and stepped-up enforcement by Mexico helped give the beleaguered Homeland Security Department a bit of a reprieve. Published February 13, 2024
Iraqi immigrant who plotted George W. Bush assassination gets more than 14 years in prison
An Iraqi man who sought to bring in an ISIS hit squad to kill former President George W. Bush has been sentenced to more than 14 years in prison. Published February 13, 2024
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene ‘confident’ that GOP will impeach Mayorkas
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene told supporters the House will finally be able to muster the votes to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas when the chamber votes this week. Published February 13, 2024
GOP gets burned by latest flirtation with immigration deal
Like moths to a flame, Republicans have once again flirted with a big immigration compromise, only to get their wings singed. Published February 12, 2024
Feds seek 15-year sentence for Iraqi immigrant who sought to assassinate George W. Bush
The Iraqi immigrant accused of trying to orchestrate the murder of former President George W. Bush will be sentenced Monday, and prosecutors are asking a judge to put him in prison for 15 years, saying the U.S. must send a message to shut down future plots. Published February 10, 2024
House GOP opens probe into Biden administration’s ‘leniency’ toward Trump tax leaker
House Republicans announced a probe Thursday into what they said was the Justice Department's lenient treatment of the man who leaked then-President Trump's taxes. Published February 8, 2024
Supreme Court Justices Jackson, Thomas say Trump ballot challenge misreads Civil War history
They've feuded in the past, but Justices Ketanji Brown Jackson and Clarence Thomas were singing from the same songbook Thursday as they blasted the challenge to former President Donald Trump appearing on the ballot, saying it misunderstood the point of the 14th Amendment. Published February 8, 2024
‘There were no guns’: Trump rejects ‘insurrection’ label for Jan. 6
Former President Donald Trump called the Supreme Court's hearing on challenges to his ballot access "a beautiful thing," saying Thursday that attempts to throw him off the ballot were "election interference." Published February 8, 2024
Supreme Court skeptical of Colorado kicking Trump off ballot: ‘Just doesn’t seem like a state call’
Supreme Court justices expressed deep skepticism Thursday of the power of individual states to kick former President Donald Trump off their ballots, casting doubt on the Colorado Supreme Court's controversial decision that he be disqualified from running in the state's primary election for taking part in an insurrection against the government. Published February 8, 2024
Border smuggler bites agent trying to corral her service dog
A Border Patrol agent had to get a tetanus shot after being bit by a woman arrested for smuggling illegal immigrants while refusing separation from her service dog. Published February 8, 2024
Border deal collapses; senators eye slimmed-down package with Ukraine, Israel money
The Senate's new border deal officially imploded Wednesday as Republicans mounted a filibuster, saying the agreement they helped negotiate ended up being too much of a stinker. Published February 7, 2024
GOP’s debt deal, migrant labor boom tamed government spending — for now
Uncle Sam's budget looks a bit better this year after Congress ordered spending to be constrained and the economy hummed along, powered in large part by the massive surge of migrants, the Congressional Budget Office said Wednesday. Published February 7, 2024
Mayorkas avoids impeachment as House Republicans fail to muster votes
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro escaped history on Tuesday after House Republicans fell short on their attempt to impeach him, failing to muster enough support within their own ranks. Published February 6, 2024