Dr. Phil previewed his meeting, detailing the “pretty high-risk mission” that he and Homan would be undertaking, saying that ICE officers are not conducting sweeps across cities like some are claiming and instead are targeting “bad actors.” Homan and Dr. Phil then discussed “hogwash” claims against the agency, with the talk show host suggesting that politicians seeking to work against ICE are “creating what they fear the most,” which is forcing ICE to go into communities rather than to jails where illegal immigrants could be held.

Homan argued that if “that’s the game they want to play, game on,” stating that public safety is ICE’s endgame.

LIVE NOW: Dr. Phil and @RealTomHoman are in an ICE Command Center in Chicago.

Dr. Phil: Are you going into schools and arresting children at schools?

Tom Homan: No.

Dr. Phil: Is anything like that happening?

Tom Homan: No sir. pic.twitter.com/ELvIDDM6SN

— Dr. Phil (@DrPhil) January 26, 2025

“We’re going to take that public safety threat off the street by any means necessary,” Homan said. “If we can’t get in the jail, then we’ll go in the neighborhood.”

Dr. Phil and Homan also spoke to an illegal immigrant who was arrested by ICE, an accused sex offender from Thailand. During their inquiry, the immigrant stated, “You’re Dr. Phil,” and said he had seen the host on television.

JUST IN: The first arrest in Chicago with @RealTomHoman was a convicted sex offender and internet predator from Thailand.

For full live coverage of the operation, download the MeritTV app. pic.twitter.com/KEcphUWDDJ

— Dr. Phil (@DrPhil) January 27, 2025

Homan said the illegal immigrant was “convicted of sex crimes involving children” and was roaming the streets of Chicago, and he said this represents “the problem” with sanctuary cities. 

“And it makes me angry that Gov. Pritzker the other day went on the internet and social media, saying, ‘ICE was attacking our elementary school. He’s scaring children. He’s scaring the neighborhood community,’ when we’re doing the exact opposite!” Homan said. “We’re saving children. Every sexual predator we arrest means more safe children, so God bless the men and women of ICE.”

Homan was interviewed by Dr. Phil in December, during which he warned of the danger posed by Tren de Aragua, a Venezuelan gang in Aurora, Colorado, joking that this gang would have an even bigger problem on Jan. 20 “because my gang’s bigger than their gang.” He also set his sights on changing the people’s negative perception of law enforcement.

Following the end of his daytime talk show in 2023, Dr. Phil started his television network, Merit Street Media, on which he hosts Dr. Phil Primetime. The host has also conducted an interview with New York City Mayor Eric Adams, in which the mayor vowed to fight his indictments to the “bitter end.”