Dr. Phil embedded himself in a high-stakes U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operation in Chicago on Sunday, joining the new Trump administration’s border czar, Tom Homan, as they carried out targeted deportations. The TV personality traded his studio stage for the streets of Chicago, where ICE agents rounded up illegal immigrants, including convicted criminals, under President Donald Trump’s newly reinstated immigration enforcement priorities.
The operation wasn’t a random sweep of neighborhoods, as some sanctuary city advocates might suggest. Instead, as Dr. Phil himself pointed out, it was a targeted mission aimed at apprehending “high-value targets” — individuals with criminal convictions, including sexual assault, domestic violence, and weapons charges. “This truly is a targeted ICE mission,” Dr. Phil clarified after being briefed on the operation’s protocols and goals. “They’ve identified 270 high-value targets, and by that, I mean known criminals and terrorists.”
Dr. Phil just announced that he and Tom Homan will be embedded with ICE agents in Chicago to observe and document the deportation raids.
It’s so honorable that Dr. Phil is putting his life in potential danger just to tell the nation the truth about the deportation operation.… pic.twitter.com/WkwOdgsL2Q
— George (@BehizyTweets) January 26, 2025
One of the more shocking moments of the operation involved Dr. Phil’s face-to-face interaction with a man from Thailand, a convicted sex offender and internet predator residing illegally in Chicago. Handcuffed and cornered on the street, the man gave answers that seemed to dodge responsibility. When Dr. Phil directly asked him, “You’ve been charged with sex crimes with children?” the man responded dismissively, “Not really.” Dr. Phil’s disbelief was evident as he repeated, “Not really?!”
DR PHIL AND TOM HOMAN ARE ON THE STREETS ARRESTING ILLEGALS.
🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣pic.twitter.com/EzTW6OnGwR
— Ryan Fournier (@RyanAFournier) January 27, 2025
The exchange left even the famously unflappable TV host visibly stunned. Homan, however, saw the moment as an opportunity to highlight what he views as the dangers of sanctuary city policies. “We’ve got an illegal alien, convicted of sex crimes involving children, walking the streets of Chicago,” Homan said. “This is the problem with sanctuary cities—people like this are out here instead of being removed, all because local law enforcement won’t cooperate with federal agents. This is exactly what we’re dealing with.”
Chicago, a well-known sanctuary city, has repeatedly clashed with federal authorities over immigration enforcement. Mayor Brandon Johnson has doubled down on shielding undocumented migrants from deportation, directing local law enforcement to avoid collaboration with ICE in compliance with the Illinois Trust Act. Johnson condemned the administration’s efforts, accusing them of creating fear and division within the community. “I find it unconscionable that this administration would attempt to create not just division but fear within our public schools,” Johnson said, referencing false rumors that ICE was targeting schools during its operation.
Homan was quick to counter these claims. Speaking with Dr. Phil, he stressed that ICE agents were not targeting schools or conducting indiscriminate raids. “That’s just misinformation,” Homan said. “We’re focused on criminal offenders, people who are public safety threats. This man [the sex offender] is exactly why we’re here.”
Trump himself has taken a hardline stance against sanctuary cities like Chicago, criticizing their refusal to cooperate with federal immigration policies. “We’re trying to get rid of them. We’re trying to end them,” Trump said in a recent interview with Sean Hannity. “And a lot of the people in those communities don’t want them.”
As part of Sunday’s operation, ICE arrested over 460 individuals, targeting undocumented immigrants with criminal records. The broader plan involves a crackdown in major cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and Miami, with a goal of apprehending up to 1,500 individuals daily.
Dr. Phil’s involvement in the operation, filmed as part of a segment for his show on Merit TV, offered a behind-the-scenes look at the realities of immigration enforcement. While his presence added an element of public interest, the stark contrast between federal and local policies remains at the heart of the debate. For Homan and the Trump administration, the operation was about public safety and enforcing the law. For sanctuary city advocates, it’s a fight over what they see as protecting vulnerable populations. Either way, the issue is unlikely to quiet down anytime soon.
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