PoliticsDr. Phil McGraw Faces Backlash After Embedding With ICE During Controversial Immigration Raids in L.A.
Dr. Phil faced backlash after he was seen alongside ICE agents in L.A.
June 17 2025, Published 8:07 a.m. ET
TV personality Dr. Phil McGraw drew backlash after he was seen alongside Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents during its recent Los Angeles immigration raids.
McGraw was spotted with camera crew on the scene as federal agents began a crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the area. McGraw owns conservative channel MeritTV.
According to a spokesperson for the channel, McGraw’s involvement aimed at providing "a first-hand look at the targeted operations."
Community activists said the presence of TV crews during theICE protests felt 'exploitative.'
The raids resulted in numerous detentions and prompted a swift backlash from community activists, who condemned the tactics as not just a violation of civil liberties but also as a spectacle for media coverage.
Protesters took to the streets, demonstrating their outrage over what they viewed as an inhumane and aggressive approach to immigration enforcement.
President Donald Trump ordered the National Guard into Los Angeles following the immigration raids.
The operations in Los Angeles followed McGraw’s previous involvement with ICE in Chicago earlier this year. During that episode, agents were reportedly instructed to be "camera-ready," suggesting an orchestrated media operation designed to underscore President Donald Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
However, MeritTV stressed that McGraw was not embedded with ICE during the raids in L.A. and merely interacted with key figures, including Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, at the Homeland Security Investigations field office.
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Dr. Phil owns conservative network MeritTV.
A spokesperson for MeritTV clarified, "In order to not escalate any situation, Dr. Phil McGraw did not join and was not embedded" during the L.A. raids.
Despite this assertion, critics have cast doubt on the objectivity and moral implications of a media figure prominently featuring in a controversial government operation.
As the situation unfolded, McGraw was seen sharing taped conversations with Homan, which will be broadcast during upcoming episodes of Dr. Phil Primetime. This decision has not gone unnoticed, with many questioning the ethics of showcasing human rights violations for television ratings.
One activist commented, "Using such serious matters for entertainment is nothing less than exploitation. Lives are at stake here."
Dr. Phil's taped conversations with Donald Trump's border czar Tom Homan will air on 'Dr. Phil Primetime.'
Following a wave of controversial immigration raids, tensions in Los Angeles reached a boiling point — so much s,o that President Trump ordered the National Guard into the city.
Viral videos of the protests flooded social media, showing heated confrontations and sparking outrage across the country.
In response, officials tried to justify the federal presence. FBI Deputy Director Dan Bongino posted on X, writing, "We are not stopping or slowing down. We are not intimidated or apprehensive."
Trump also weighed in, calling L.A. "a once great American City” that had been "invaded and occupied by Illegal Aliens and Criminals."
His comments ignited even more backlash, with many residents claiming he's pushing false and inflammatory claims about their city.
