TV personality Dr. Phil is sparking criticism after joining "border czar" Tom Homan and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to offer live coverage of the agency's immigration raids in Chicago.
"It's a pretty high-risk mission that we're going on," Dr. Phil said in a video posted hours before the raids began. "This truly is a targeted ICE mission, because they're not sweeping neighborhoods like people are trying to imply. I know that, because I've been involved in this heading into this. They've identified 270 high-value targets, and what I mean by that is these are known criminals and terrorists."
Dr. Phil subsequently shared a video of Homan's first arrest in Chicago: a Thai man whom Homan alleges has been convicted of sex offenses involving children.
The man, who is not identified by name in the video, recognizes Dr. Phil, saying: "I seen you were Dr. Phil on TV."
Nationwide, 956 people were arrested on Sunday, according to ICE, as the agency ramps up enforcement under President Donald Trump's tough-on-border policy.
The raids—which officials insist are targeted in scope—have drawn strong condemnation from critics.
Intensifying the widespread criticism are two incidents not directly tied to ICE's planned raids. One involving a veteran being detained in Newark, and another in which purported ICE agents showed up to a Chicago school.
The first incident was a raid carried out by Homeland Security Investigations due to a tip of unauthorized workers at a place of business and was not part of the sweeping ICE raids.
For the second, Secret Service claimed they were mistakenly identified as ICE agents as they were investigating an online threat a student purportedly made against Trump. The agency added it does not carry out immigration enforcement actions.
And now, Dr. Phil is getting wrapped up in the criticism as well, due to his ride-along coverage of Homan's raid.
"Dr Phil you spent your whole life talking about compassion. Don’t destroy a 50 year reputation by sanctioning this," condemned Anthony Scaramucci, who briefly served as Trump's Director of Communications in 2017.
"You’re becoming a national embarrassment," blasted another person.
"What does it tell you that the delegation that arrived in Chicago yesterday to commence the deportation operation included Dr. Phil?!?" swiped commentator David Axelrod. "Was he there to minister to the ICE agents? The arrested immigrants? Or was he there to turn this into Must See TV?"
"What a piece of shite Dr. Phil turned out to be," posted one influencer on X.
"'It’s a pretty high risk mission that we’re going on' yeah, splitting families apart is hard, noble work Phillip," blasted another commenter.
But fans of Trump's immigration crackdown were loving Dr. Phil's posts.
"This is the kind of daytime television I'm here for!" celebrated Rep. Mike Collins (R-Ga.).
"Imagine getting arrested by Dr. Phil hahahahaha," wrote conservative activist Riley Gaines.
"Only in America do you get deported by a fake doctor from the TV. Best country in the world!" concluded another right-winger.
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