Moussa Diawara, a Malian national who was deported from the United States after living in the country for 25 years, claimed to be a gay man on his asylum application in 2009. In the application, Diawara stated that he feared persecution in his native country due to his sexual orientation, and that he had been "banished" from attending Malian activities because of his behavior.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has pointed out that Diawara's asylum application contradicts the narrative presented in a recent segment on the CBS News program "60 Minutes." The segment, which aired on Sunday, portrayed Diawara as a loving husband and father who was being unfairly deported. However, ICE claims that Diawara's actions demonstrate widespread fraud within the immigration system.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) General Counsel, James Percival, has also spoken out about the discrepancy, stating that Diawara's claimed reason for fearing persecution in Mali was his sexual orientation. Percival expressed frustration that the "60 Minutes" segment selectively edited their conversation, omitting discussion of the immigration system's flaws.
Diawara was deported to Mali in 2022, after being removed from the United States. He has since fled to an undisclosed African country. The incident has sparked debate about the accuracy of the "60 Minutes" segment and the extent of immigration fraud within the U.S. system.
The Department of Homeland Security has provided diplomatic assurances to the U.S. regarding Diawara's safety, but the authenticity of these assurances has not been confirmed. The incident has raised questions about the vetting process for asylum applicants and the potential for fraud within the immigration system.
NTC Report coverage is based on reporting from the original publisher.
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