Dr. Phil joins Chicago ICE agents for migrant busts

Television personality Dr. Phil tagged along with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents in Chicago to hunt undocumented immigrants as part of the Trump administration’s goal to deport people in the country illegally.

Dr. Phil boasted that he was party to a successful Sunday night sting while making the rounds with Trump’s acting ICE director.

“The first arrest in Chicago with @RealTomHoman was a convicted sex offender and internet predator from Thailand,” he posted on X along with a link to his app where viewers can learn more.

The alleged culprit said he recognized Dr. Phil from television.

It was in Chicago that Dr. Phil, also known as Dr. Phillip C. McGraw, became a TV star as psychology expert on the popular “The Oprah Winfrey Show.” The 74-year-old therapist launched his own eponymously titled show in 2002 that ran for more than 20 years.

Celebrities don’t commonly embed with ICE agents, though the Trump administration has made drawing visibility to its crackdowns a priority. Sanctuary jurisdictions like Chicago that are at odds with President Donald Trump’s agenda have been the first to draw attention from ICE since the newly elected president took office last week.

Dr. Phil’s interaction with the man he helped apprehend in Chicago showed where the line between law enforcement and entertainment could become complicated; the TV doctor continued questioning the illegal immigration suspect after he asked to speak to a lawyer.

“I wouldn’t think that would extend to me, but I suppose somebody could certainly ask the lawyers involved if that’s true,” Dr. Phil told the Chicago Tribune when asked if his interactions with the man in ICE custody was appropriate.

The presence of ICE officials in the Windy City has raised tensions. One Southwest Side elementary school mistakenly said Friday that officials there had to act quickly to stop an unauthorized ICE agent from entering without permission. The U.S. Secret Service later said it had agents in the area, but their business had nothing to do with immigration.