CBS Pulls '60 Minutes' Migrant Story Pending 'Additional Reporting'

Updated 12/23/25 at 12:30pm MT

CBS News' "60 Minutes" retracted a segment on El Salvador's Terrorism Confinement Center (CECOT), where the Trump administration deported hundreds of unauthorized Venezuelan migrants, hours before its scheduled airdate on Sunday. The segment, "Inside CECOT," will eventually air with "additional reporting," according to the network.

The Details: An advertisement for the segment showed migrants at the maximum-security prison alleging instances of torture and other abuses. "60 Minutes" correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi said in an email to several coworkers on Sunday that CBS News (Lean Left bias) Editor-in-chief Bari Weiss (Center) "spiked [the] story." Alfonsi said that government officials had failed to respond to requests for comment and viewed the decision to retract the story as "political," rather than just editorial. The segment was briefly aired on Canada's Global TV website and app where it remained for two hours before it was removed. It was also shared online.

Key Quotes: "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," Weiss said. "I look forward to airing this important piece when it's ready." Alfonsi said that pulling the story transforms the network "from an investigative powerhouse to a stenographer for the state." She asserted, "Our story was screened five times and cleared by both CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. It is factually correct." Alfonsi said inmates of CECOT "risked their lives" to speak out, and the network's shift is "corporate censorship."

For Context: CBS' parent company, Paramount, bought Weiss' The Free Press (Lean Right) and named Weiss editor-in-chief of CBS in October. "60 Minutes" has been criticized for editing interviews of both President Donald Trump and former vice president/presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Paramount settled a $16 million lawsuit with Trump after the segment with Harris that allegedly gave her an advantage in the 2024 presidential election. 

RELATED: Is Bari Weiss a Good Pick to Lead CBS? | AllSides

How The Media Covered It: This story was widely covered by media on the left and in the center. HuffPost (Left) noted that CBS "has not announced the future release date" and removed the segment's trailer. It quoted a press release that has since been updated to remove all details of the segment. Washington Examiner (Lean Right) framed its coverage around Alfonsi's criticisms and noted concerns that CBS began "skewing more conservative after Weiss took over." The outlet also quoted Trump, who said last week, "For those people that think I am close with the new owners of CBS, please understand that 60 Minutes has treated me far worse since the so-called 'takeover,' than they have ever treated me before."

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