Selena Gomez in tears over deportation of Mexican immigrants
Singer-cum-actor Selena Gomez recently shared a heartfelt video on her Instagram story addressing the deportation of Mexican immigrants, which she later deleted.
In the emotional clip, the 32-year-old celebrity tearfully responded to President Donald Trump’s renewed threats of mass deportations, expressing concern over the potential for family separations.
“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,” Gomez said in the recording.
She captioned the post with an apology and a Mexican flag emoji before removing it. The Emilia Pérez actor later shared another message stating, “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.”
Gomez’s response followed a nationwide immigration crackdown that resulted in the arrest of 956 individuals, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
This operation, described as the largest since Trump’s return to power, involved multiple federal agencies with expanded detention powers in cities like Chicago, Newark, and Miami.
The actress, known for producing the 2019 Netflix documentary Living Undocumented, has been a long-time advocate for immigration issues.
The documentary highlighted the struggles of undocumented families and drew from her family’s immigration story. Gomez has often reflected on her paternal grandparents’ journey from Mexico to the United States in the 1970s, a narrative that has significantly influenced her identity.
In a personal essay for Time magazine, Gomez said: “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.”
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She emphasised her responsibility as a Mexican-American woman to use her platform to advocate for those who feel too afraid to speak out.
The Only Murders in the Building star has also condemned the inhumane conditions faced by migrants in detention centres, particularly children.
In a 2019 Instagram post, she voiced her outrage over reports of children sleeping on concrete floors with aluminium blankets, labelling the situation “absolutely inhumane.”
“I’m a proud, third-generation American-Mexican, and my family’s journeys and their sacrifice helped me get to where I am today,” she stated in a 2020 virtual commencement speech for immigrant graduates.
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