Dr. Phil Embeds With ICE on Immigration Raid in Chicago

Dr. Phil McGraw at "A Night of Honour" presented by The Iraq Star Foundation at the Universal Hilton Hotel, Los Angeles, CA on Oct. 4, 2009. (Credit: Shutterstock)

Dr. Phil joined U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers during a deportation raid in Chicago, documenting parts of the operation for his media network.

On Sunday, Jan. 26, the TV personality whose real name is Phillip McGraw, shared a video on X of the raid, which will air on his MeritTV app.

The operation, led by Trump administration “border czar” Tom Homan, sought individuals labeled as “high-value targets.”

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In the video, a man who identified himself as Sam Seda, a Thai national, was taken into custody.

McGraw is seen questioning Seda, asking him: “What’s your name? Where are you from?”

Seda replied, “Where I was born or where I am from?” He confirmed he was born in Thailand and admitted he was not a U.S. citizen. When asked about previous deportations, Seda declined to answer further, stating he needed to speak with his lawyer.

Homan used the moment to criticize cities offering migrants sanctuary, saying: “This is an example of sanctuary cities. We got illegal aliens convicted of sex crimes involving children, and he’s walking the streets of Chicago.”

The Trump administration is facing sharp criticism from Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul after carrying out the raid.

“This is going to have an upsetting effect on our economy and stability in our community,” Raoul told CNN. “These are people who make contributions and pay taxes and are part of the fabric of our community here in Chicago and throughout the nation.”

In another clip posted earlier, McGraw defended the raid, stating that ICE agents were not indiscriminately targeting neighborhoods but were instead focusing on dangerous individuals.

“These are known criminals and terrorists. We are talking about murderers, child traffickers, child rapists. We’re talking about bad actors,” McGraw said.

The TV personality’s participation comes after he endorsed former President Donald Trump during a campaign rally last year, calling the move an “act of rebellion.”

The controversial media personality, who has a doctoral degree in clinical psychology and is a licensed psychologist, began his showbiz career with a featured segment on The Oprah Winfrey Show in the 1990s. As his popularity grew, he left Texas and moved to Los Angeles to launch his advice show in September 2002. He has since returned to Texas.

The raid coverage, which McGraw states will be available with full live coverage on the MeritTV app, comes after his Merit Street Media network, based in Texas, faces challenges.

The network, which McGraw launched in 2024 after ending his long-running deal with CBS Media Ventures in California, has faced difficulties, including laying off nearly 40 staff members shortly after launching, according to WFAA, the ABC affiliate in Dallas, Texas.


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About Maria Leal

Maria Leal is a bilingual, multi-media journalist based in Los Angeles. She can be reached on Twitter @MariaLealNews.

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