Tension is rising inside CBS News, with some 60 Minutes staff reportedly threatening to quit after a controversial decision to pull a segment about the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement policies. The report, which focused on alleged mistreatment of deported migrants at a high-security prison in El Salvador, was removed from the broadcast just hours before airtime.
According to CNN’s Brian Stelter, insiders say the move created a “firestorm” within the newsroom, with concerns over whether the choice was made for editorial reasons or political pressure.
The segment was said to offer a close look at conditions inside the CECOT prison — one of the largest and most heavily guarded facilities in the world. The Trump administration has allegedly deported hundreds of migrants there in recent months as part of its expanded immigration crackdown. The segment reportedly described the facility as brutal, raising questions about human rights and the treatment of deportees.
Several 60 Minutes staff members are threatening to quit after CBS News editor-in-chief Bari Weiss allegedly shelved a previously scheduled segment on El Salvador’s maximum security prison and the Trump Administration’s deportation drive. https://t.co/DeaDYus91p
— NewsRadio WHAM 1180 (@WHAM1180) December 22, 2025
CBS’s decision to hold the piece came after Bari Weiss, the network’s new editor-in-chief, allegedly suggested the story needed more reporting. She reportedly pushed for additional context, including an interview with White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, who played a major role in shaping current immigration policy.
And the left goes crazy…
Leslie Stahl, Scott Pelley and any other journalist that still works at 60 Minutes should quit in protest. Staying any longer will destroy your reputations. CBS News is officially DEAD. https://t.co/sXJdmFLk5l
— Centrist Surfer
(@dudeonthebay) If this decision is not reversed, if CBS News will only run a piece if WH comments, giving them veto power over journalism, any staff member w integrity will likely quit, bc it isn’t a news division anymore. It’s TASS. https://t.co/RjjZNX7nHm
Should CBS News air the censored 60 Minutes segment on immigration enforcement?— Bill Carter (@wjcarter) December 22, 2025
Weiss, a former opinion editor and journalist known for founding the conservative-leaning Free Press, took over at CBS following the network’s merger with Skydance earlier this year. The newly formed media company, now called Paramount Skydance, is owned by the Ellison family, who have been public supporters of President Donald Trump.
The merger brought changes across the network, including layoffs and new leadership roles. One notable addition was an ombudsman position now held by Kenneth Weinstein, a conservative policy expert, aimed at reviewing concerns about bias. Some critics have argued that the move signals a shift in editorial direction at CBS, with others saying it’s a necessary effort to restore balance and trust in journalism.
This latest incident has added to ongoing concerns from some CBS employees who believe the network has allegedly become more cautious in covering sensitive political topics, especially those involving the White House.
Veteran 60 Minutes reporter Sharyn Alfonsi reportedly sent a memo to staff criticizing the decision to pull the CECOT story. According to the memo, the segment had already gone through five internal reviews and had been approved by CBS attorneys and Standards and Practices. She claimed the decision to delay the broadcast was political, not editorial.
Alfonsi also said that CBS had requested comments from the Department of Homeland Security, the State Department, and the White House, but had received no response. She suggested that the silence may have been a tactic to delay or block the story from airing. In her words, letting a lack of response be used as a reason to hold a story gives the government a “kill switch” for anything it doesn’t want reported.
In response to the backlash, Weiss told The New York Times that postponing stories for additional reporting is a normal part of newsroom operations. She said the story would be aired once it is “ready” and includes all necessary context.
This is not the first time CBS has faced criticism since the leadership change. In November, the network was accused of cutting parts of a televised interview with President Trump that had appeared in a longer online version. The edits included sections where the president reportedly raised his voice in frustration over questions about a controversial pardon and claimed to have received a financial settlement from CBS over past coverage.
The future of the pulled 60 Minutes segment is unclear, and CBS has not provided a new air date. For now, internal disagreements within the network appear to be growing, with staff debating whether journalistic independence is being protected — or put at risk.
