ICE Disputes '60 Minutes' Report on Deported Migrant, Citing Immigration Fraud

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has publicly challenged a recent "60 Minutes" segment that highlighted the deportation of Moussa Diawara, a 57-year-old man from Mali. ICE alleges that Diawara, who was deported to Ghana on July 30 after residing in Texas for over two decades, misrepresented his sexual orientation as gay to illegally remain in the United States.

According to ICE, Diawara, who had married and fathered two U.S. citizen children in Houston, claimed he would face persecution in his native Mali if deported. An immigration judge reportedly agreed with this assessment, ruling that Diawara should instead be sent to Ghana, a country to which he has no known ties.

The "60 Minutes" report featured Diawara's 16-year-old son, Corey, expressing his distress over his father's absence. However, ICE countered these claims on social media, with a post stating, "You literally cannot make this up." The agency asserted that Diawara's alleged homosexuality was the basis for his fear of deportation to Mali, despite his marriage to a woman and having children.

Homeland Security General Counsel James Percival criticized the "60 Minutes" segment, calling it an example of "rampant fraud in U.S. immigration." He stated that Diawara's file indicated his claimed reason for fearing Mali was that he is "gay."

ICE further indicated that Diawara had been under a deportation order since February 2012, but had allegedly remained in the U.S. illegally for an additional 14 years. The agency noted that an immigration judge had permitted him to receive a U.S. work permit during this period, and he reportedly worked as an Uber driver.

Diawara was arrested on July 11 while finishing a late shift outside his Houston home. After spending three weeks in ICE detention in Texas, he claimed he was deported to Ghana without the opportunity to speak with his lawyer or a judge. He described being held in Ghana by armed guards and being unable to contact his family or legal counsel, likening the experience to kidnapping.

The "60 Minutes" report indicated that Diawara was found homeless and hiding in Mali in August, having escaped to another country with assistance. Diawara reportedly acknowledged the U.S. had the right to deport him but questioned the decision to send him to Ghana, believing U.S. authorities knew he would be sent back to Mali.

DHS stated that Ghana provided diplomatic assurances that Diawara would be safe before his deportation. The Daily Mail has reached out to CBS News for comment on ICE's response to the "60 Minutes" report.