CBS News has announced that it will air a segment on deportations carried out by the Trump administration to the notorious CECOT prison in El Salvador. Originally scheduled for December 21, 2023, the segment was pulled just hours before its broadcast. It is now set to be featured in the upcoming episode of *60 Minutes* this Sunday evening.
The segment, produced by Oriana Zill de Granados and reported by Sharyn Alfonsi, includes interviews with Venezuelan deportees who were sent to the harsh CECOT prison last year. According to the log line provided by CBS News, “Last year, the Trump administration deported hundreds of Venezuelans to El Salvador, a country most had no ties to, claiming they were terrorists.” This action has led to ongoing legal battles, as the U.S. government has yet to release the names of all those deported.
Bari Weiss, the CBS News editor in chief, stated that the leadership has always been committed to airing the *60 Minutes* CECOT piece as soon as it was deemed ready. In a statement, she emphasized, “Our viewers come first. Not the listing schedule or anything else.” Weiss clarified that the decision to delay the segment was based on the need for more thorough reporting and the inclusion of responses from key officials within the Trump administration.
Alfonsi expressed concerns about the segment’s initial removal, describing it as a “political” decision rather than an editorial one. In an internal email to CBS staff, she noted that the piece had been screened five times and cleared by network attorneys, making its removal seem unwarranted. Alfonsi pointed out that the administration’s refusal to participate in the story should not be interpreted as an outright veto of the project.
The segment highlights the experiences of deportees such as Luis Munoz Pinto, who recounted being beaten and sexually assaulted while in CECOT. He stated that he had been detained by customs officers while awaiting asylum proceedings and had no criminal history. According to statistics gathered by Human Rights Watch, nearly half of those deported to CECOT had no prior criminal records.
In addition to the deportation segment, the upcoming *60 Minutes* broadcast will include a report by Cecilia Vega covering confrontations between ICE officers and Minneapolis residents amid ongoing protests over the shooting of Renee Good. Another feature by Holly Williams will focus on the Australian saltwater crocodile.
After the segment was pulled from the December broadcast, it was made available online the following day, December 22. Interestingly, Global TV, which airs *60 Minutes* in Canada, briefly featured the segment on its app before it was removed due to an error.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to participate in the interview process for the segment. In her report, Alfonsi stated that the agency referred questions regarding the prison to the government of El Salvador, which did not respond.
As the segment finally makes its way to air, it promises to shed light on the controversial deportation practices of the Trump administration and the realities faced by those affected by these policies. Viewers can expect an in-depth exploration of the human impact behind the statistics, as well as critical insights into the broader implications of these actions.
