Dr. Phil Joins ICE Operations During Chicago Ride-Along as Enforcement Escalates Nationwide
Former talk-show host shares video from a ride-along with immigration authorities as ICE ramps up enforcement efforts across the country.
In a video posted on Sunday, Phil McGraw, best known for his two-decade run as the host of Dr. Phil, shared footage of himself participating in a ride-along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Chicago, as authorities intensified immigration enforcement actions across the U.S.
McGraw, a former psychologist who gained fame alongside Oprah Winfrey, said he had “embedded” with ICE to offer a firsthand look at the agency's efforts to apprehend individuals described as “known criminals and terrorists.” The segment aired on McGraw’s newly launched media network, Merit Street Media, which he founded a year ago.
In a conversation with Thomas Homan, former Border Security czar under the Trump administration, McGraw addressed the concerns surrounding ICE’s operations. Homan urged viewers to “forget the false narrative” about ICE conducting broad neighborhood sweeps and targeting individuals based on race. “Look at what we actually do,” Homan emphasized.
Speaking with NBC News on Monday, McGraw elaborated on a conversation with Homan, in which he asked about ICE’s tactics. Homan reassured him that their goal was not indiscriminate sweeps, but to focus on individuals with the worst criminal backgrounds first.
McGraw defended the operations, arguing that ICE’s actions are focused on those in the country illegally and emphasized that they could face long-term bans from reentry. “They’re in the country illegally. Tom Homan’s intention is if you’re here illegally, you need to self-deport,” McGraw said.
The recent uptick in ICE actions follows promises by President Trump to carry out the largest deportation campaign in U.S. history. Immigration advocates, however, continue to warn individuals of their rights to due process during encounters with authorities.
On Monday, a group of Quaker congregations filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, challenging the reversal of a longstanding policy that prevented raids in “sensitive locations” like schools and houses of worship without prior approval.
Sunday's enforcement efforts led to nearly 1,200 arrests, marking the largest single-day operation since Trump took office. Notably, almost half of those detained had no criminal history, according to a senior Trump administration official.
In the video shared by McGraw, he can be seen questioning a handcuffed man standing on a street with Homan. At one point, the man, when asked if he had been previously deported, recognizes McGraw, asking, “Are you Dr. Phil?” McGraw responds, “How do you know me?” to which the man replies, “I’ve seen you on Dr. Phil.”
Homan, in the video, identifies the man as an undocumented individual with prior convictions for child sex crimes. When McGraw asks the man about the charges, he responds ambiguously, “not really.”
A spokesperson for ICE did not immediately comment on the video or its contents.
McGraw, who ended his daytime show in 2023, has been politically active, speaking at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden in October. He clarified afterward that his appearance was not an endorsement, despite his close association with the former president.
In the realm of reality TV, McGraw’s influence has intersected with Trump’s, as both have capitalized on television formats that blend entertainment with larger-than-life personalities. Trump's use of media to connect with audiences has mirrored McGraw’s own rise to prominence on daytime TV.