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Selena Gomez has addressed backlash she received after posting an emotional video reacting to a U.S. immigration crackdown. The singer and actress, 32, shared a tearful message on Instagram expressing empathy for those affected by recent deportations under President Donald Trump's administration.
In the now-deleted video, Gomez said, "I'm so sorry. All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don't understand. I'm so sorry, I wish I could do something but I can't. I don't know what to do. I'll try everything, I promise." The video also featured the text "I'm sorry" alongside a Mexican flag emoji.
Following her post, Sam Parker, a Republican Senate candidate from Utah in 2018, reacted on X writing, "Deport Selena Gomez." In response, Gomez wrote on Instagram Stories, "Oh, Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker. Thanks for the laugh and the threat." Gomez later shared another Instagram Story, stating, "Apparently it's not ok to show empathy for people," before also deleting it.
The deportation operation that sparked Gomez's emotional response resulted in 956 arrests over one weekend, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These figures marked one of the largest such crackdowns since Trump's return to office. Trump's "border czar," Tom Homan, defended the measures, stating, "It is all for the good of this nation, and we're gonna keep going." Gomez, who was born in Texas and is of Mexican descent, has long been vocal about immigration issues.
In a 2019 Time op-ed, she shared her family's immigration story, revealing that her aunt crossed the border from Mexico in the 1970s, followed by her grandparents. "Undocumented immigration is an issue I think about every day," she wrote. "When I read the news headlines or see debates about immigration rage on social media, I feel afraid for those in similar situations. I feel afraid for my country," she wrote in the same op-ed.
With 422 million Instagram followers, Gomez remains one of the most influential women in the world.
