The Trump administration has accused CBS News' 60 Minutes of overlooking alleged immigration fraud in its coverage of Moussa Diawara, a 57-year-old Malian national deported from the United States to Ghana in July 2026.
Diawara, a married father of two American children, had lived in the United States for approximately 25 years after overstaying a tourist visa. Although a 2012 immigration ruling permitted his removal, it prohibited his deportation to Mali because of concerns about persecution.
The controversy intensified after the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) alleged that Diawara's asylum application cited fears of persecution based on homosexuality, a detail the agency said was missing from CBS's October 25 investigation.
Why Was Moussa Diawara Deported?
Diawara entered the United States at age 32 on a tourist visa and remained after its expiration. He subsequently sought protection from deportation, claiming he would face persecution if returned to Mali.
In 2012, an immigration judge issued a removal order but granted protection known as withholding of removal, preventing authorities from deporting him specifically to Mali. The decision did not give him permanent legal residency or prevent deportation to another country.
Diawara received employment authorization and worked as an Uber driver in the Houston area. According to CBS News, he had no criminal record.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents detained him at his Texas home on July 11, 2026. After approximately three weeks in detention, he was deported to Ghana on July 31, despite having no personal ties to the country.
DHS Accuses Diawara of Misrepresenting His Asylum Claim
Following the CBS broadcast, DHS General Counsel James Percival challenged the program's presentation of Diawara's case.
Percival alleged that Diawara's original asylum application identified homosexuality as a reason he feared persecution in Mali. DHS officials argued that his marriage to a woman and their two children raised questions about the credibility of that claim.
ICE amplified the allegations on October 26, accusing Diawara of immigration fraud and criticizing the television investigation.
However, the allegations do not independently establish that Diawara committed fraud. Marriage to a woman and having children do not, by themselves, disprove a person's sexual orientation or establish that a previous asylum claim was false.
No new judicial determination establishing fraud in Diawara's asylum application was identified in the reporting reviewed as of October 27, 2026.
What Happened After His Deportation to Ghana?
According to the 60 Minutes investigation, Ghanaian authorities transferred Diawara to Mali within days of his arrival, despite the American immigration ruling protecting him from removal to that country.
Diawara told CBS that he was left without money or identification and spent several weeks hiding in Mali because he feared for his safety. He also described concerns related to his conversion to Christianity.
He later escaped to another African country with assistance from local truck drivers. His current location has not been disclosed because of safety concerns.
Diawara also questioned whether American officials anticipated his eventual transfer to Mali. CBS reported that his luggage tags identified Mali as the destination and that a medical document contained a similar reference.
DHS disputed the implication, explaining that contractors produced the luggage tags and describing the medical document's destination information as a clerical error.
The department maintained that Ghana had provided diplomatic assurances concerning Diawara's safety. Ghanaian authorities declined to comment on the case when contacted by CBS.
Why the Case Raises Questions About Third-Country Deportations
Diawara's experience has become part of a broader debate over third-country deportations, in which the United States removes noncitizens to countries other than their countries of origin.
Such removals can occur when an immigration order allows deportation but prohibits sending an individual to a specific country because of a risk of persecution or torture.
According to CBS's October 25 investigation, approximately 25,000 people had been deported to third countries under the Trump administration's expanded removal program.
The investigation also reported that 17 of 19 deportees interviewed after arriving in Ghana said they were subsequently sent against their will to countries where American immigration judges had previously identified protection concerns.
Immigration advocates argue that these transfers raise serious questions about compliance with legal protections against returning people to countries where they face persecution.
DHS, meanwhile, maintains that third-country deportations are lawful and that receiving governments can make their own immigration decisions. Percival disputed claims that American officials knowingly circumvented existing protections.
Where Does Moussa Diawara's Case Stand?
As of October 27, 2026, the central facts remain that Diawara was deported to Ghana despite a court order preventing his removal to Mali, and that he subsequently reported being transferred to Mali against his will.
The latest dispute concerns the credibility of his original protection claim and whether American authorities fulfilled their responsibilities when arranging his removal to a third country.
DHS has publicly challenged Diawara's account, while CBS's investigation has brought renewed attention to the risks faced by deportees whose legal protections apply to particular destinations.
The case illustrates the distinction between an enforceable deportation order and restrictions on where an individual may legally be returned.
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