Music (and lately movie) star Selena Gomez is well-known for expressing her opinions on social media, often facing backlash from users that leaves her shaken – typically leading her to delete the controversial post or announce she’s taking a break from social media. If we had a dollar for every time she did this, we might be able to buy a mansion right next to hers.
On Monday, we could have added another dollar. Gomez, whose father’s parents immigrated to the U.S. from Mexico, shared a video in which she tearfully spoke out against President Donald Trump’s mass deportation policy targeting undocumented immigrants that began as soon as he assumed office.
Through her tears, the star said to the camera: “All my people are getting attacked. The children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry,” she said. “I wish I could do something but I can’t. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”
Apparently, not all of Gomez’s followers agreed with her statements, and they made sure to let her know. As is her usual habit, she deleted the post and replaced it with a new one, writing: “Apparently, it’s not okay to show empathy for people.”
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Gomez saw fit to respond directly to one individual: Senate candidate Sam Parker, who mocked her and suggested deporting her as well. Parker accused Gomez of an “entitlement attitude toward America" due to her Mexican heritage. He added: "Selena Gomez picked illegals over America b/c she's the 3rd gen descendant of Mexican illegals who received citizenship in the '87 amnesty. Maybe Selena should be deported, too?"
Gomez responded to him in a story: “Oh, Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker, thank you for the laugh and the threat.” Parker then retaliated, saying: “I didn’t expect to check off ‘start a war with ignorant Selena Gomez fans’ on my bingo card today, but here we are. Now I’m drinking their tears.” He added the hashtag #DeportSelenaGomez
Tom Homan, the head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), was asked about Gomez’s comments during an interview on Fox News and responded: “If you don’t like it, go to Congress and change the law. We’re continuing the operation without apology. I‘ve met with hundreds of … moms and dads who were separated from their children because they buried them, because they were killed by illegal aliens.”
Gomez has previously shared that her aunt was the first member of her family to cross from Mexico into the U.S. in the 1970s, hiding inside a truck to get across the border. Her aunt’s parents followed soon after, and Gomez’s father was born after they had already made it into the U.S.
In an article she wrote for Time magazine, Gomez once said: “I think about the topic of undocumented immigrants every day and always remember how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family and the circumstances that worked in our favor. But when I see the news about hatred towards immigrants, I fear for others in similar situations. I fear for my country.”
In 2019, she produced a documentary series titled "Living Undocumented" (Netflix), which focused on the stories of families of undocumented immigrants living in the U.S.