DHS Accuses CBS of Omitting Asylum Fraud Claim in Deportation Case

The Department of Homeland Security accused CBS News on Monday, July's aftermath, of omitting what it called an "absurd bit of fraud" from a "60 Minutes" profile of a deported Malian father of two. The dispute centres on Moussa Diawara, whom DHS removed to Ghana in July, more than a decade after he overstayed a tourist visa.

Who was deported, and when?

Diawara, a married father of two, entered the United States on a tourist visa and claimed refugee status after overstaying it, according to the "60 Minutes" segment. That claim barred his return to Mali, his home country. DHS stated that an immigration judge granted his final order of removal in 2012.

DHS said the department removed him to a third country that "provided diplomatic assurances for his safety." The department posted this statement on X after the broadcast aired.

What does DHS allege the segment omitted?

The department insists the CBS profile left out a central element of Diawara's asylum application: his claim that he is gay. DHS General Counsel James Percival wrote on X: "This illegal alien is [60 Minutes'] poster child for what it claims are wrongful deportations."

Percival said he pulled Diawara's immigration file himself. He found that "his claimed reason for fearing Mali was that he is 'gay,' just in case you're wondering how bad the immigration fraud problem is." Percival noted that Diawara is married to a woman.

DHS reiterated the point in its own post. The department wrote that Diawara claimed on his asylum application that "he would be persecuted for his homosexuality if he was returned to his home country — despite being married to a woman he has two children with."

"[60 Minutes] left this absurd bit of fraud out of their 'Texas dad' segment," the department posted.

What did the asylum application say?

Fox News obtained Diawara's asylum application. In it, Diawara wrote: "since I came to the USA I had the possibilities to express my feelings to men without any embarrassment no reserve."

The application continued: "Although I was born as a boy, but things appeared differently for me as I was already having female behaviors and feelings." He added: "I was more comfortable being intimate with boys rather than with girls."

DHS has not said whether it opened a separate fraud referral based on the file, and the department's posts did not address how the 2012 order interacted with the asylum claim. CBS News has not publicly responded to the DHS statements, according to the source report.

What happened to Diawara after removal?

In the "60 Minutes" segment, Diawara alleged that within days of arriving in Ghana, authorities there forced him onto a flight to Mali. CBS News reported that when its crew caught up with him in August, "he was homeless and hiding in Mali, fearing for his safety."

"He was able to escape to another country with the help of some local truckers after several weeks in Mali," the outlet reported. Diawara asked that the second country not be disclosed, citing concern for his safety.

What remains unresolved?

The record, as reported, contains gaps. DHS has not stated when Diawara filed the asylum application or how the claim was adjudicated after the 2012 removal order. The "60 Minutes" segment, as summarised, did not address the asylum claim; the full broadcast text is not quoted in the report.

Neither DHS nor CBS has published the underlying file in full. Percival summarised it; Fox News quoted the application directly. Readers assessing the fraud allegation should weigh both accounts against the primary documents, which remain unpublished.