The decision by CBS to postpone a “60 Minutes” report on U.S. deportees sent to the Center for the Confinement of Terrorism, or CECOT, has sparked a furor that continues into Monday. The intended segment, titled Inside CECOT, had already reached audiences in Canada when Global Television Network streamed it. In the United States, CBS, now under editor-in-chief Bari Weiss, chose to hold the broadcast.
The CBS Decision
The network’s choice to delay the segment came after the segment was cleared by CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. Sharyn Alfonsi, the correspondent who anchored the story, wrote a note to colleagues that the story had been screened five times and was factually correct. She accused the network of pulling the segment for “political” reasons, stating that the decision was not an editorial judgment but a governmental “kill switch” prompted by the Trump administration’s refusal to comment. Weiss later said the piece was “only held,” a routine practice when a story “is not ready.” She added that the segment would air once it was ready.
Inside CECOT Report
The Canadian broadcast, which CBS now has on hold, features interviews with people deported from the U.S. to CECOT under the Trump administration. The interviewees describe torture, physical and sexual abuse, and a bleak environment at the complex. Luis Munoz Pinto, a college student who came to the U.S. from Venezuela for asylum, told the program that the CECOT director warned them they would never see the light of day or night again. He added, “Welcome to hell. I’ll make sure you never leave,” according to the report. Munoz was awaiting a decision on his asylum claim when he was deported to CECOT this year, one of 252 Venezuelans sent there between March and April.
International Footage
The segment also includes a clip of former President Donald Trump describing El Salvador’s prisons as “great facilities, very strong facilities, and they don’t play games.” The clip was taken from a meeting at the White House earlier in the year where Trump sat beside Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele. It also shows Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem visiting CECOT in March, thanking Bukele and El Salvador for their “partnership” with the U.S. to incarcerate what she called “terrorists” at the facility.
Reactions from Journalists and Advocates
PEN America, a free-speech nonprofit, and FCC Commissioner Anna M. Gomez, appointed by former President Joe Biden, criticized the decision to pull the segment. Tim Richardson, PEN America’s journalism and disinformation program director, said, “Pulling it back at the last minute because the government chose not to respond is an insult not only to the integrity of the journalists but to core principles of independent news gathering.” He added that CBS journalists had made a “deeply reported story” and had reached out for government comment.
Editorial Perspective
Bari Weiss, who launched The Free Press in 2021 and was hired as CBS News editor-in-chief in October, defended the hold. In a statement she said, “Holding stories that aren’t ready for whatever reason – that they lack sufficient context, say, or that they are missing critical voices – happens every day in every newsroom.” She also noted that the piece “did not advance the ball,” citing that The Times and other outlets had previously covered similar work. According to a source quoted by Weiss, the story presented powerful testimony of torture at CECOT but was not ready.
Context of the Trump Administration’s Deportations
President Trump’s campaign focused on mass deportations, and his administration began sending people to El Salvador and CECOT in March, citing the rarely used Alien Enemies Act of 1798. Among those sent to CECOT was Kilmar Abrego Garcia, who was mistakenly deported contrary to a judge’s order. He was subsequently returned to the U.S. and released from immigration custody on Dec. 11. A federal judge allowed him to remain free while immigration proceedings continue.
Release of Venezuelan Deportees
The 252 Venezuelan men referred to in the “60 Minutes” report were released from CECOT in July in exchange for the release of 10 Americans held in Venezuela. This swap highlighted the political negotiations surrounding the deportations.
CBS and Global Television Network Response
Neither CBS nor Global Television Network responded to requests for comment late Monday and early Tuesday. The White House and Department of Homeland Security also did not reply outside regular business hours to emails asking about the segment’s content.
Key Takeaways
- CBS has delayed a “60 Minutes” segment on Trump-era deportations to El Salvador’s CECOT, despite clearance by legal and standards teams.
- The Canadian broadcast, featuring testimony of torture and abuse, has already reached viewers in Canada.
- Journalists and free-speech advocates have condemned the hold, citing independence and integrity concerns.
Closing
The controversy underscores the tension between news organizations and government sources, especially when stories involve sensitive human-rights allegations. As CBS prepares to air the segment, the debate over editorial control and political pressure continues to resonate across media circles and beyond.
