At a Glance
- CBS will air Sharyn Alfonsi’s deportation story on Sunday after it was abruptly pulled in December
- The segment features migrants sent to El Salvador’s CECOT prison and criticism of Trump administration deportations
- The delay sparked internal accusations of political interference by new CBS News chief Bari Weiss
- Why it matters: Viewers can compare the original and revised versions after the earlier version mistakenly leaked online
CBS News will finally broadcast a controversial 60 Minutes segment on Trump administration deportations this Sunday, one month after the story was yanked from the Dec. 21 episode. The reversal follows an internal clash over whether the network bowed to political pressure.
The Story That Was Pulled
Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi interviewed deportees shipped to El Salvador’s notorious CECOT prison. When CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss killed the segment, Alfonsi emailed colleagues, calling the move “not an editorial decision, it was a political one.”
Weiss argued the report lacked adequate administration perspective and echoed earlier coverage by other outlets.
Producers updated the piece with Trump administration statements, though it contains no fresh on-camera interviews. Alfosi will now give deeper detail on the two migrants she spoke with about life inside CECOT, according to a person familiar with the broadcast who requested anonymity.
Network Statement
“CBS News leadership has always been committed to airing the 60 Minutes CECOT piece as soon as it was ready,” the division said. “Tonight, viewers get to see it, along with other important stories, all of which speak to CBS News’ independence and the power of our storytelling.”
Leaked Version Offers Rare Comparison
While the segment never aired in December, it mistakenly surfaced online. CBS had transmitted that week’s 60 Minutes to Canada’s Global Television, which posted the file before the last-minute switch. Viewers who grabbed the leak can now contrast it with Sunday’s broadcast to see what changed under Weiss’s direction.
In the leaked cut, Alfonsi notes that administration officials:
- Declined repeated interview requests
- Referred questions about CECOT to El Salvador’s government
- Received no response from Salvadoran authorities
The earlier version also included:
- A brief clip of President Donald Trump saying prison operators “don’t play games”
- A soundbite from White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt branding deportees “heinous monsters, rapists, murderers, sexual assaulters, predators who have no right to be in this country”
Accusations of Political Favoritism
Weiss, founder of the Free Press website and a first-time television news executive, has faced criticism that her hiring signals CBS’s attempt to appease Trump. Since her arrival, administration officials have appeared more frequently on CBS programs, sometimes after Weiss helped arrange the bookings.
President Trump sat for a 60 Minutes interview with Norah O’Donnell on Nov. 2, and last week he spoke with new CBS Evening News anchor Tony Dokoupil.
Legal Threats Over Unedited Interview
The New York Times reported that after Dokoupil’s 13-minute interview, Leavitt warned CBS, “we’ll sue your ass off” if any portion was edited. The network ran the full conversation on Tuesday-an unusual move for a 30-minute newscast that normally trims interviews for time. CBS told the Times the decision to air the segment unedited had been made when the interview was booked.
Sanctuary City Definition
The article notes that a sanctuary city limits cooperation with federal immigration enforcement to shield undocumented residents from deportation.
Key Takeaways
- CBS viewers will finally see a deportation story that ignited fierce internal debate
- The incident highlights tension between editorial independence and perceived political pressure
- A rare leak lets the public judge what changed between the original and revised segments
