Dr Phil McGraw has set the record straight about his involvement in the ICE operations that triggered recent riots in Los Angeles. The TV personality is pushing back against what he calls false media narratives surrounding the controversial immigration enforcement actions.
According to Daily Mail, McGraw clarified that he was not "embedded" with Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers during the June 6 raids as some reports suggested. Instead, he conducted interviews with Border Czar Tom Homan before and after the operations for broadcast on MeritTV.
McGraw was present at a multi-agency briefing at ICE's LA headquarters involving the FBI, ATF, US Marshal Service, and IRS. He maintains that the federal activities were not random roundups of illegal immigrants but rather coordinated operations conducted with proper legal authorization under a federal search warrant.
Targeted enforcement operation
The primary target of Friday's operations was Ambiance Apparel, a business with a troubled history. McGraw points out that the company and its owner, Sang Bum "Ed" Noh, had previously pleaded guilty to eight offenses, including conspiracy and money laundering, in 2020.
According to Tom Homan, the troubled manufacturer is now being investigated for alleged money laundering, tax evasion, and customs fraud. This context stands in stark contrast to what McGraw describes as incomplete reporting by mainstream media outlets.
Following the raid on the company facility, federal officers audited the workforce and reportedly took about 40 individuals believed to be in the US illegally into custody. McGraw insists these people were "treated with dignity and respect, offered food and water and then interviewed."
Violent response condemned
McGraw harshly criticized the riots that followed the enforcement actions. He described protesters who attacked law enforcement officers as "dangerous, destructive and utterly lawless," noting that some threw concrete chunks at moving vehicles.
The TV personality questioned where these protesters were during the Obama administration, which deported 2.8 million illegal immigrants. He suggested that today's activists might be "motivated more by politics than principle," implying partisan motivations behind the outrage.
McGraw emphasized that laws are not optional and that being a "good person or worker does not grant immunity from them." He urged those who want change to direct their efforts toward Congress and legislative reform rather than attacking law enforcement officers.
Immigration enforcement priorities
McGraw defended the Trump administration's immigration enforcement goals, which he said include closing the southern border with Mexico and prioritizing deportations of the most dangerous illegal immigrants in the country.
He highlighted another priority that has received less attention: finding an estimated 300,000 undocumented children who have gone missing in recent years. McGraw expressed concern that many of these minors may have been pushed into prostitution and forced labor.
The TV personality questioned who would object to these priorities, particularly the focus on rescuing vulnerable children who will require medical, psychological, and sociological services to recover from trauma they've suffered.
Media criticism and call for dialogue
McGraw accused the media of inflaming rather than informing the public about immigration enforcement. He argued that violence against ICE officers and other law enforcement is "not a negotiation for justice" but rather "a demand for surrender."
He maintains that a proper immigration debate should focus on policy reform rather than attacking those sworn to enforce existing laws. McGraw stressed that ICE agents didn't write the policies they enforce but are simply fulfilling their duty.
McGraw concluded by calling for "more truth, not more rage" and a media "willing to inform, not inflame." He suggested that reasonable people can debate immigration reform, but that throwing rocks at officers and blocking vehicles crosses the line into criminal conduct.
