WASHINGTON — Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., excoriated the Trump administration for allowing TV host Dr. Phil McGraw to embed with federal agents carrying out deportation raids in Chicago, arguing in a Tuesday Senate floor speech that if the immigrants being rounded up were so dangerous, why was McGraw along for the ride?
“Dr. Phil has as much business being on these raids as he does performing surgery,” Durbin said. McGraw is a psychologist.
Federal agents allowed McGraw enormous access during the Sunday operations, tagging along with President Donald Trump’s border czar Tom Homan, in Chicago to oversee the operation. The deal was mutually beneficial — Homan got favorable coverage and McGraw used his live coverage to build an audience on his MeritTV digital television network.
Having McGraw on hand was just part of Trump’s team media strategy. At least two national news outlets were allowed access to the raids, which served to give Homan and the agents coverage from their perspective during the Chicago raids.
One man taken into custody recognized the man he called Dr. Phil, and agents allowed McGraw to talk to him. Though McGraw became famous because Oprah Winfrey promoted him when she was producing her TV show from Chicago — and he went on to host his own daytime talk show — he evolved into a strong right-wing Trump supporter.
“I was disappointed to see the White House border czar Tom Homan come to Chicago recently with ICE agents arresting immigrants, asking them questions after they’ve been requested, even after they’d requested to speak to an attorney,” Durbin said.
“Dr. Phil, a TV doctor, is not an MD, but for some reason, he was invited to go along with this raid.”
U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin (from left), Gov. JB Pritzker and Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson at a Loop news conference in August 2023 calling on the Biden administration to expand work authorizations for new and old immigrants in hopes of addressing a labor shortage in Illinois and other states.
Pat Nabong/Sun-Times file photo
Durbin noted “the many speeches given by President Trump during the campaign about dedicating himself to ferreting out people who were murderers and rapists and drug dealers and mentally ill, dangerous to the United States. I took him at his word that that’s what he was set out to do.”
Instead, he said, McGraw’s presence — Durbin called him “an accomplice” — showed the people being taken into custody weren’t so dangerous.
“ If this mass deportation is truly focused on dangerous individuals — murderers, rapists, drug dealers and [the] mentally ill — Dr. Phil has as much business being on these raids as he does performing surgery,” Durbin said.
“Why is he there? In fact, he could complicate the situation. We are talking about a legal process and the possibility of criminal prosecution following. And to have this television character come along for the ride is dangerous and makes no sense.”
Durbin said he was concerned that “these sweeping executive actions will leave those arrested by ICE, including those with lawful status and U.S. citizenship, with little opportunity to even state their case and show that they belong in this country. Let’s be clear, 90% of undocumented immigrants have no criminal convictions — 90%.”
Immigrants “who make up more than 40% of home health care aides and children’s assistance day care — an outsized percentage of these and the agricultural workforce are undocumented. Immigrants are a key part of America’s success story,” Durbin added.
“I do not want a single dangerous person to remain in this country or to be allowed to seek permanent residence here, period. But there are many who have been here for periods of time and pay their taxes, follow the law and should be part of America’s future,” said Durbin. “Our nation needs immigrants in many important places.
“Come to my state of Illinois and ask the agricultural organizations. They will tell you, flat out, without assistance from migrants and immigrants, they just can’t do their work. Whether they’re running dairy operations, orchards or regular agricultural pursuits. They need a helping hand, and many times, the only ones who will come to help them are those who come from other countries.”
