Official ICE press releases or credible news media reports detailing the operation

Dr. Phil and Tom Homan Lead Chicago ICE Raids; 956 Arrested, Including Convicted Sex Offender

Jan 27, 2025, 02:18 AM

Television host Dr. Phil McGraw embedded with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents and Border Czar Tom Homan in Chicago on Sunday to observe and document a series of targeted immigration enforcement operations. The operation focused on arresting 270 high-value targets, including individuals with criminal backgrounds, as part of President Donald Trump's mass deportation pledge. During the raids, federal agents arrested a convicted sex offender from Thailand named Seda Soma, who had been ordered to be removed from the United States on November 3, 2009, but remained in the country illegally. Dr. Phil engaged with the detainee, who demanded to speak to a lawyer, and questioned Homan about the scope of the operation, confirming that agents were not arresting children at schools. Prior to the arrests, Dr. Phil stated, "We've got two very high-risk apprehensions that are going down within minutes. I can tell you that these are bad actors." Homan outlined three objectives for the operation: close the border, get criminals off the street, and rescue missing children. The high-profile immigration sweep, the first of its kind under the Trump administration, resulted in 956 arrests on January 26, with live coverage provided through the MeritTV app.