Deported Man’s Asylum Claims Spark DHS Controversy

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CBS News’ “60 Minutes” recently highlighted the story of Moussa Diawara, a 57-year-old man who was deported from the United States after living there for 25 years. The segment featured his tearful wife and children, portraying him as a victim of deportation. However, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has raised concerns about the portrayal of Diawara’s case, revealing additional details from his asylum application that were omitted in the broadcast.

Asylum Application Adds New Layer

According to an asylum application obtained by Fox News, Diawara described himself as gay and feared persecution in his home country of Mali due to his sexual orientation and his conversion to Christianity. DHS General Counsel James Percival shared the details on X, calling Diawara a “poster child for what it claims are wrongful deportations.”

Diawara’s application also stated that his tribal group and community had already learned of his sexual identity, making him feel unsafe even from his own family if he returned to Mali. He wrote, “Although I was born as a boy, but things appeared differently for me as I was already having female behaviors and feelings … I was more comfortable being intimate with boys rather than with girls.”

He described his life in the U.S. as one where he could express his feelings without fear or embarrassment. The application listed him as single at the time, though it did not specify when he married.

🚨 #FOXEXCLUSIVE: 60 Minutes featured a deported Malian national whose wife and two children spoke about how much they miss him and want him home.

@Brooketaylortv on X

CBS News, in a print article accompanying the “60 Minutes” broadcast, presented Diawara’s story slightly differently. He arrived in the U.S. on a tourist visa at age 32 and overstayed, later applying for refugee protection. Diawara claimed he would face persecution in Mali due to his Christian faith and sexual orientation, as Mali is a Muslim-majority nation with an Islamist insurgency. He has no criminal record.

Diawara was deported to Ghana after a judge barred his return to Mali. Once in Ghana, officials reportedly forced him onto a flight back to Mali. He told “60 Minutes,” “I cannot call my wife, I can’t contact my lawyer. I can’t talk to no one. I tell them, ‘This is kidnapping. You guys kidnapped us.’”

Percival addressed whether deportees were voluntarily returning to their countries of origin, offering two possible explanations. Either they consented but were not truthful about it, or foreign governments determined it was acceptable to return them home under international law.

Source: Daily Wire