Stephen Miller escalated the CBS deportations dispute after a shelved “60 Minutes” segment on President Trump’s deportation policy drew sharp criticism from the White House. The White House deputy chief of staff for policy accused the program of crafting a misleading narrative that favored violent criminals over American victims.
Miller called for dismissals during an appearance on “Jesse Watters Primetime,” stating, “Every one of those producers at ’60 Minutes’ engaged in this revolt, fire them. Clean house.” He argued the segment attempted to soften public perception of illegal immigrant gang members deported to El Salvador’s maximum-security CECOT prison. Miller described the effort as a “hatchet job” and cited crimes committed by Tren de Aragua, including the murder of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Texas.
CBS delayed the segment hours before its scheduled Sunday airing, citing a need for “additional reporting.” The report, later leaked online after airing in Canada, featured interviews with Venezuelan deportees who claimed they had no criminal or gang ties. The segment asserted that roughly half of the 252 deported men lacked criminal backgrounds.
CBS News Editor-in-Chief Bari Weiss halted the broadcast, determining the piece “was not ready” and failed to “advance the ball,” according to Fox News Digital. Weiss requested stronger inclusion of administration voices and criticized a portion involving Berkeley students reviewing the prison.
Correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi disputed the decision, writing, “It is factually correct. In my view, pulling it now… is not an editorial decision, it is a political one.” Axios reported that statements from the White House, the Department of Homeland Security, and the State Department were excluded from the segment. CBS declined multiple requests for comment.
