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DHS Told '60 Minutes' Weeks Before Air That Mali Man Claimed Gay
The Department of Homeland Security emailed CBS News weeks before "60 Minutes" broadcast its segment on a deported Malian national, informing the network that the man, Moussa Diawara, had once claimed to be gay on an asylum application, Fox News Digital reported.
What did DHS send CBS News before the segment aired?
According to Fox News Digital's reporting, DHS sent correspondence to CBS News weeks ahead of the "60 Minutes" broadcast disclosing that Diawara had, at an earlier point in his immigration proceedings, claimed to be gay on his asylum paperwork. Fox News Digital reported that the department's outreach predated the segment's air date by weeks, raising questions among DHS officials about whether "60 Minutes" fully accounted for that history in its finished report.
Who is Moussa Diawara?
Diawara is identified in the reporting as a Malian national who was deported and whose case "60 Minutes" featured as part of a segment on his removal. He is described in coverage as a father, though the source material reviewed does not detail the specific circumstances of his deportation beyond his nationality and the asylum claim DHS flagged to the network.
What did the asylum application say?
The asylum claim in question stated that Diawara had identified as gay, according to the DHS email described by Fox News Digital. That detail is central to the dispute: DHS has framed the prior claim as relevant context for understanding Diawara's immigration history, a point the department says it conveyed to CBS News before the segment aired rather than after, when it could be characterized as a belated objection.
Why does the timing of the DHS email matter?
The timing is the crux of the story. By notifying "60 Minutes" weeks in advance, DHS positioned itself to argue that producers had the asylum-claim detail available to them during their reporting process, not merely after broadcast. Fox News Digital's confirmation of the email's timing is the specific, sourced fact anchoring the dispute, separate from any broader argument either side might make about how the segment characterized Diawara's case.
What hasn't been confirmed?
The underlying segment's full content, any response from CBS News or "60 Minutes" producers to DHS's email, and further detail on the circumstances of Diawara's asylum claim and deportation are not addressed in the material reviewed for this report. Readers following the dispute should expect additional reporting from CBS News or DHS to fill in those gaps.
Fox News Digital's full account, including how it obtained and verified the DHS correspondence, is available at the originating story.
Questions
What did DHS tell CBS News before the '60 Minutes' segment aired?
DHS emailed CBS News weeks before the broadcast to inform the network that Moussa Diawara, the deported Malian national featured in the segment, had once claimed to be gay on an asylum application, according to Fox News Digital.
Who is Moussa Diawara?
He is a Malian national who was deported and whose case was the subject of a '60 Minutes' segment; his asylum paperwork had earlier included a claim that he was gay, per the DHS email described by Fox News Digital.