‘Made-for-TV’: Dr. Phil took part in ICE raids that sparked huge L.A. protests

Once again, Dr. Phil McGraw is being embedded in the controversial immigration enforcement raids in the United States.

The former daytime television personality, best known as “Dr. Phil,” tagged along with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the raids in Los Angeles last week, which sparked multiple days of protests, according to CNN.

A spokesperson for McGraw’s conservative channel, Merit TV, confirmed to the outlet that footage from the operation will be featured in an upcoming report on his show, Dr. Phil Primetime, providing viewers with a “firsthand look at the targeted operations” of U.S. President Donald Trump’s anti-immigration mandate.

McGraw shared video to X, teasing an “exclusive” interview with Trump’s border czar Tom Homan. The two men sat down for taped conversations about ICE efforts both “the day before and day after the LA operation,” Merit TV told CNN.

McGraw’s involvement in the Los Angeles raids comes after a similar stint in the early days of Trump’s second presidency. In January, he was embedded with ICE agents in Chicago and, according to People magazine, some federal agents were told to be camera-ready on the day of filming.

In a video posted to X on Jan. 26, McGraw, 74, could be seen standing beside Homan and other immigration enforcement officers as he questioned a detained immigrant who reportedly lacked permanent legal status.

In the clip, McGraw asked the detained individual about his background and immigration status. The man revealed he recognized McGraw from television.

“You’ve been charged with sex with children?” McGraw eventually asks.

“Not really,” the man responded.

“And you’ve never been deported?” asked McGraw, to which the man replied, “Nope.”

“I wanted to see [the immigration enforcement raids] for myself,” McGraw told the Daily Mail at the time.

“There were no restrictions. There was no room I couldn’t go into. There was no meeting I couldn’t attend,” he continued, claiming that he saw more than 100 people rounded up by ICE in one day.

According to CNN media analyst Brian Stelter, who first shared the news of McGraw’s most recent ICE tag-along, embedding the celebrity psychologist is all part of a wider administration strategy.

“McGraw’s presence on the ground in L.A. reinforces the made-for-TV nature of Trump’s immigration crackdown,” Stelter wrote Monday.

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He continued: “Trump officials have repeatedly tried to maximize television and online attention around immigration enforcement activities this year. [Tom] Homan and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem are regulars on Fox News and other Trump-aligned TV networks. They also frequently publicize ICE actions on X and other social media platforms.”

The raids in Los Angeles sparked fury in the city on Friday, resulting in large-scale protests that saw thousands of people taking to the streets. A major freeway was also blocked and self-driving cars were set on fire.

Eventually, Trump ordered the California National Guard to be deployed to quell the protests, which caused even more chaos. At least 300 troops used tear gas, rubber bullets and flash bangs to attempt to control the crowd on Sunday.

The Sunday protests in Los Angeles, a sprawling city of four million people, were centred on several blocks of downtown.

The guard was deployed specifically to protect federal buildings, including the downtown detention centre where protesters concentrated.

They stood shoulder to shoulder, carrying long guns and riot shields as protesters shouted “shame” and “go home.” After some closely approached the guard members, another set of uniformed officers advanced on the group, shooting smoke-filled canisters into the street.

Minutes later, the Los Angeles Police Department fired rounds of crowd-control munitions to disperse the protesters, who they said were assembled unlawfully. Much of the group then moved to block traffic on the 101 Freeway until state patrol officers cleared them from the roadway by late afternoon.

Police Chief Jim McDonnell said officers were “overwhelmed” by the remaining protesters. He said they included regular agitators who show up at demonstrations to cause trouble.

Several dozen people were arrested throughout the weekend of protest. One was detained on Sunday for throwing a Molotov cocktail at police, and another for ramming a motorcycle into a line of officers.