CBS News has released the complete 60 Minutes interview with James Percival, the General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), after some key exchanges were left out of the initial airing.
Percival was interviewed by 60 Minutes contributor Gianna Toboni in a segment called “Destination: Nowhere,” which aired on Sunday and discussed the Trump administration’s policy on third-country deportations.
According to Percival, the interview lasted nearly an hour, but only part of it was broadcast. On October 26, 2026, 60 Minutes made the full interview available on its official YouTube channel. Meanwhile, DHS criticized the editing choices, suggesting that omitted portions were important for understanding the administration’s policies.
In a clip shared by Percival on X, he questioned Toboni about whether those deported faced persecution or torture upon returning to their countries.
You can kind of see why @60Minutes left stuff like this on the cutting room floor. https://t.co/w5L4jEbdJl
— James Percival (@DHSGenCounsel) October 27, 2026
Percival asked, “Are you suggesting that when these people went back to their home countries that they were persecuted or tortured?”
In response, Toboni mentioned a ruling from a U.S. federal judge, which led Percival to inquire if the judge had implied deportees were “persecuted and tortured” upon return.
Toboni asserted that deportees were “more than likely to be tortured or persecuted” if sent back, stating that some had indeed experienced violence, though she insisted that was not her main point.
Percival countered that Toboni’s implication might suggest that Ghana is “not accurately adjudicating” the fears of deportees. If that were the case, he argued, “you would expect those people to return to their home country and then face persecution or torture because Ghana would be getting it wrong.”
He further suggested that the lack of reported mistreatment among those returned home could mean that Ghana’s processes are adequate. Percival concluded by questioning whether deportees are truly sent to places where they would be persecuted, asserting that it didn’t seem like that was the claim being made.
After the extended interview was made available, White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis criticized 60 Minutes for what she described as “selective editing,” arguing that the program neglected key information about how third-country removals are crucial for American safety.
Bis elaborated that these removals help eliminate some of the most dangerous criminals, stating, “These removals allow us to remove some of the most barbaric criminals, including child rapists and murderers whose home countries refuse to take them back.”
She claimed that because of these efforts, “America is no longer a safe haven for the world’s criminals,” alleging that 60 Minutes focused on sob stories about illegal aliens while ignoring the victims of their crimes.
Another excerpt from the interview, which Percival shared on X, showed a discussion that centered on the criminal histories of deportees and if immigration enforcement should mainly target individuals with violent offenses.
Toboni observed that “murder and rape” were the two crimes that Percival and the administration frequently emphasized. She referenced an “internal DHS document” that indicated during Trump’s first year in office, “0.5 percent were accused or convicted of homicide, 1.4 percent for sexual assault. Altogether, that’s just 2 percent.”
Percival contested this, asking rhetorically, “Isn’t it wonderful that we are getting those people out of the country? Should that be the limit of who has to follow the law? Just rapists and murderers?”
A conversation with @60Minutes on rapists and murderers, which they declined to include. https://t.co/XjUs7uDzj3
— James Percival (@DHSGenCounsel) October 27, 2026
Toboni then pressed him about the other 98 percent, asking, “What about everybody else?”
Percival replied that everyone must obey the law and that just because someone hasn’t committed a violent crime doesn’t excuse them from following legal expectations. He emphasized that people who commit lesser crimes could eventually commit more serious offenses.
He noted his intent to remove anyone who might pose a risk and who is unlawfully in the country, claiming that “every illegal alien crime is a preventable crime.” Percival also highlighted immigration laws that mandate actions taken by the DHS, pointing out that some removals operate based on court orders.
During the discussion, Toboni also asked whether Percival felt compassion for “folks who don’t have a ‘violent criminal record’” facing family separation, including U.S. citizens whose parents are deported.
I explained the relationship between compassion and justice to @60Minutes https://t.co/6ZlZrNNBN7
— James Percival (@DHSGenCounsel) October 27, 2026
Percival replied that the victims he feels “the most compassion for are the American victims who we’re protecting,” arguing that “justice is about doing things that might be unpleasant to protect people.”
He remarked that “Nobody always feels good about dispensing justice,” and that “strong leaders” need to make tough choices to ensure protection. While he reiterated that officials have compassion, the focus remains on the victims.
