Dr.
Phil McGraw, a renowned television personality, has recently countered the Democrats' portrayal of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids that incited violent reactions from protestors in Los Angeles last week.
He disclosed that the primary business targeted in these raids was a clothing company suspected of criminal involvement.
Contrary to several mainstream media reports, McGraw clarified that he was not "embedded" with ICE during the recent raids. He sought to rectify the misinformation in an op-ed published last Thursday. "Despite the so-called 'reporting,' I was not actually 'embedded' with Immigration and Customs enforcement officers making arrests during the raids in LA on Friday, June 6," he stated.
As reported by Breitbart, McGraw had been privy to the operation's parameters and had conducted an on-camera interview with Border Czar Tom Homan on the Thursday evening before the raids and the Saturday morning following them for broadcast on his network, MeritTV.
In addition to his interviews with Homan, McGraw attended a multi-agency briefing with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), U.S. Marshal Service, and the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) at ICE's Los Angeles headquarters. He also accompanied Homan on a drive through the area on the morning of the raid.
Despite McGraw's clarification, CNN's Brian Stelter initially reported that McGraw was "embedded" with ICE during the raids. CNN later updated its story with a statement from a MeritTV spokesperson, who confirmed, "In order not to escalate any situation, Dr. Phil McGraw did not join and was not embedded."
Left-leaning media outlets were more dramatic in their portrayal of McGraw's involvement. MSNBC's Ja'han Jones accused him of doubling down on his role as a MAGA propagandist during the ICE raids. Jones, a left-wing blogger, suggested that figures like McGraw are instrumental in stirring up right-wing hysteria over immigrants.
Despite the media's concerted efforts to generate sympathy for the few dozen illegal immigrants detained in the raids, McGraw emphasized that ICE "did not conduct a random round-up of illegal immigrants in Los Angeles." He stated, "Rather, their coordinated multi-agency operations were conducted pursuant to a duly authorized federal search warrant not a rumor nor hunch." He identified Ambiance Apparel as the business suspected of criminal involvement.
In his interview with Homan, the border czar revealed that the Los Angeles clothing warehouse is part of a larger investigation into alleged money laundering, tax evasion, and customs fraud, potentially linked to larger criminal organizations such as Latin American cartels.
McGraw noted, "This is not the first time that this company has been in hot water." In 2020, federal prosecutors accused the business and its owner, Sang Bum 'Ed' Noh, of undervaluing imports and evading millions of dollars in tariffs. Ambiance Apparel pleaded guilty to eight offenses, including conspiracy and money laundering, and Noh was sentenced to a year in prison.
Following the raid on the company facility, federal officers audited the workforce and reportedly found about 40 individuals believed to be in the US illegally. In accordance with US law, these individuals were taken into custody. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that the arrested migrants included convicted rapists, drug traffickers, and human smugglers.
Despite these facts, some media outlets sympathized with Ambiance Apparel. However, McGraw condemned the anti-ICE protests, which quickly escalated into violent riots, leading President Donald Trump to deploy the National Guard.
McGraw wrote, "In short, Friday operations were a strategic enforcement of the law deliberate and legally sanctioned. But the response of some so-called activists, on the other hand, have been dangerous, destructive and utterly lawless."
He questioned why there were no protests against Barack Obama, who deported almost three million illegal immigrants, leading him to speculate that the recent rioters might be "motivated more by politics than principle."
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