A politician who stated Selena Gomez should be “deported” after she shared a since-deleted video of herself sobbing during recent immigration crackdowns was addressed by Selena Gomez.
In the wake of the mass deportations that President Donald Trump ordered over the weekend, Gomez, whose paternal grandparents immigrated from Mexico, first uploaded a video to her Instagram Stories on Monday, crying. In the video, Gomez sobbed as she said, “My people are getting attacked.”
“I’m so sorry, I wish I could do something, but I can’t,” Gomez responded. “I am at a loss for what to do. I swear, I’ll try everything.
Instagram Stories are supposed to be visible for 24 hours, however following a flurry of criticism, it seemed the video was later removed. A remark that Gomez posted—and later removed—said, “apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.”
Sam Parker, a 2018 U.S. Senate candidate from Utah, attacked Gomez on X, claiming that because she is a “descendent” of illegally crossing Mexican immigrants, she prefers undocumented immigrants to Americans.
Like her illegal parents, she views America with entitlement. “Perhaps Selena should also be deported?” he wrote. Later, he just paraphrased his previous posts by writing, “Deport Selena Gomez.”
On Monday evening, Gomez replied in an Instagram Story, which she subsequently removed.
Gomez’s writing, “Oh Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker,” “Thanks for the laugh and the threat.”
Trump directed several federal agencies to participate in nationwide immigration raids over the weekend.Just 52% of the undocumented immigrants detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement had a criminal history, despite the agency making nearly 1,200 arrests on Sunday alone.
In the United States, being undocumented is seen as a civil offense rather than a criminal offense. However, after being deported, it is illegal to return to the United States without authorization.
Online reactions to the video of Gomez sobbing were divided; some criticized her position on immigration issues, while others criticized her for claiming she “can’t” do anything as a wealthy and well-known star.
As one of the few celebrities to speak live during the immigration raids, Gomez was defended by others. In support of Gomez, television personality Geraldo Rivera, a former Trump supporter, wrote on X, “We can’t arrest our way out of our immigration crisis.”
“Selena Gomez should be commended for her compassion and sincerity,” Rivera stated. “People attacking her on social media should be ashamed.”
“Living Undocumented,” a 2019 Netflix documentary series that followed eight families in the United States without legal immigration status, was produced by Gomez. She explained why she supported the idea in an editorial that appeared in Time magazine.
“Hidden in the back of a truck” was how Gomez described her aunt’s journey across the border from Mexico, and her grandparents followed. Her father was a U.S. citizen by birthright as he was born in Texas.
“Over the past four decades, members of my family have worked hard to gain United States citizenship,” she stated in her letter. “Undocumented immigration is an issue I think about every day, and I never forget how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family and the grace of circumstance.”
She claimed that the series brought to memory the hope as well as the anxiety and uncertainty of her own family members. According to Gomez, she knew her work on “Living Undocumented” would probably draw criticism.
“But the truth is, the worst criticism I can imagine is still nothing compared to what undocumented immigrants face every day,” Gomez wrote in her post. “Fear shouldn t stop us from getting involved and educating ourselves on an issue that affects millions of people in our country.”