Dr. Phil McGraw, the well-known TV personality, and his crew were present during public protests that erupted in Los Angeles, both prior to and following immigration raids conducted by Customs and Border Protection.
The 74-year-old, who had previously covered an ice incident in Chicago earlier this year, interviewed Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE, aiming to witness the operation in California firsthand, according to reports.
This time, however, McGraw opted not to embed himself directly with ICE officers. Instead, he remained at the field office while discussing the operation with Homan in the lead-up to the raids, as stated by his office.
“Dr. Phil McGraw was not involved and not embedded in order to not escalate the situation,” his office clarified.
Footage and interviews from this event are set to air on “Dr. Phil Primetime” on Monday and Tuesday evenings.
Before the raids, a clip of Homan was shared online, indicating that ICE had prepared for heightened activity in California. He acknowledged the public’s right to protest but issued a warning: “You can dislike what ICE does and who ICE is. You can protest and throw around all the nasty words you want, but you can’t cross that line,” referring to demonstrators potentially obstructing his officers.
On Saturday, violence escalated during protests, where rioters reportedly threw rocks at federal agents after an incident at Home Depot in Paramount, California.
Los Angeles had initiated raids targeting undocumented immigrants on Friday, leading to days of upheaval as protesters confronted ICE and LAPD personnel.
Trump has since authorized the deployment of 2,000 National Guard troops to manage the situation and restore order.
McGraw’s involvement in this latest raid has reignited discussions about the media-friendly approach of the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement efforts. His previous coverage of an ICE operation in Chicago had similarly drawn criticism, as agents appeared to be “camera-ready” for his presence.
