Dr Phil reveals truth about ICE raids that triggered LA protests as he slams media for 'untrue' reporting

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Amid swirling rumors and misinformation about the recent immigration raids and the resulting unrest in Los Angeles, TV personality Phil McGraw, aka Dr Phil, has come forward to clarify the facts surrounding the situation.

Contrary to some viral claims, Dr Phil explained that the protests were largely a response to the federal immigration enforcement actions and how certain activist groups reacted.

The unrest began after approximately 40 individuals suspected of being in the US illegally were detained during a federal raid at a Los Angeles apparel company. This operation sparked widespread protests, which escalated into violent clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement officers.

The events have since fueled further controversy over the media’s coverage and the federal government’s immigration enforcement policies.

Dr Phil sets the record straight on federal immigration operation in Los Angeles

In an op-ed for the Daily Mail, Dr Phil firmly denied any direct involvement in federal immigration enforcement actions during the recent Los Angeles raids, offering a detailed written account to dispel the growing wave of misinformation.

"Over the past several days, all manner of allegations have been made about legal and targeted federal immigration enforcement operations in Los Angeles — and my apparent involvement in them," Dr Phil wrote. "So many of these claims are untrue, provoking unnecessary distractions and more of the destructive rage that already pervades too much of our political dialogue. So allow me to set the record straight."

The 74-year-old said he "was privy to the parameters of the operation and conducted an on-camera interview with border czar Tom Homan the evening before the Friday [June 6] operation and on the Saturday morning afterward for broadcast on MeritTV."

He was also "present for a multi-agency briefing early Friday morning at ICE's LA headquarters involving the FBI, ATF, US Marshal Service, and the IRS."

Based on his insights, Dr Phil strenly wrote that "contrary to what's been reported — or more accurately, not reported — in the mainstream media, federal activities on June 6 did not conduct a random round-up of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles." 

Dr Phil elaborated on the actions taken during the federal immigration operation tied to the events in Los Angeles, explaining, “To obtain a search warrant, the government is required to present evidence to a federal judge who will evaluate if there is probable cause to issue such a warrant and that was done regarding a particular company in LA.”

He went on to identify the target of the operation, “The primary business targeted in Friday's operations was Ambiance Apparel, which, I'm told, is suspected of involvement in criminal activity. Now, according to the White House border czar Tom Homan, the troubled manufacturer is being investigated again for alleged money laundering, tax evasion, and customs fraud.”

Dr Phil continued, “After federal officers raided that company facility, they audited the workforce and reportedly encountered some 40 individuals believed to be in the US illegally. Following US law, they took those individuals into custody."

He described the treatment of the detainees, stating, “I was at ICE's LA headquarters when these individuals were brought in, and I can report that these people were treated with dignity and respect, offered food and waterand then interviewed.”

Summing up the operation, he noted, “In short, Friday [June 6] operations were a strategic enforcement of the law — deliberate and legally sanctioned."

Dr Phil says response of 'so-called activists' has been dangerous, destructive and utterly lawless

After explaining the reasons behind the ICE raids and how the authorities handled the detention of approximately 40 individuals suspected of being in the US illegally, he described how the situation escalated into the LA protests, fueled by certain activists and widespread misinformation.

He slammed the activists, writing, "But the response of some so-called activists, on the other hand, have been dangerous, destructive and utterly lawless."

Dr Phil went on to shed light on the unrest that followed. “Rioters attacked law enforcement officers throwing chunks of broken concrete and other projectiles at moving vehicles. Others blocked agents from doing their jobs. Still more rampaged through the city looting, destroying public property, and even torching cars in the streets,” he mentioned. 

Dr Phil insists we need a 'media willing to inform, not inflame'

Dr Phil also took aim at the media for fueling misinformation, asserting that the immigration enforcement operation was conducted legally and with due process. He urged those seeking change to pursue it through the proper democratic channels, not through violence.

"The truth, though it may be hard to hear, can't be avoided: laws are not suggestions. They aren't 'optional,' and being a good person or worker does not grant immunity from them," he stated. "If these impassioned protesters really want change, they should show up in Washington, DC, to protest Congress or write to their representatives to demand legislative reform."

He further emphasized the distinction between policy and enforcement: "While the right to peaceful protest is the cornerstone of our democracy, the ICE agents who risked their safety to perform their jobs are neither politicians nor lawmakers. They did not put pen to paper to propose these policies — they are merely operating under a sworn duty to enforce the law, not rewrite it."

Challenging the behavior of some demonstrators, he asked, "But throwing rocks at law enforcement officers? Blocking vehicles? That's not speech, it is criminal conduct, plain and simple — and it certainly should not deter ICE operations. Make no mistake the violence perpetrated against ICE and other law enforcement officers is not a negotiation for justice. It is a demand for surrender. But that cannot happen."

He concluded with a call for rational discourse: "If you want to change immigration policy — fine. Let's have that debate. Let's talk reform. We need more truth, not more rage. And we need a media willing to inform, not inflame."