Selena Gomez broke down in tears over Donald Trump’s latest immigration crackdown, sparking mixed reactions online.
The 32-year-old singer and actress, who has Mexican roots, reacted to the U.S. government’s mass deportation efforts. The White House recently posted images of detained immigrants boarding military planes, captioned: “Deportation flights have begun.”
In a now-deleted video shared on Monday, Gomez tearfully said, “I just want to say that 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.”
After facing criticism online, she replaced the video with an Instagram story that read, “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.” That post was also deleted.
Among those who criticized her was Republican Senate candidate Sam Parker, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter) that Gomez should “be deported.” She later responded on Instagram, writing, “Oh Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker. Thanks for the laugh and the threat.”
Gomez recently starred in Emilia Perez, an Oscar-nominated Spanish-language musical about four Mexican women connected to a cartel.
Her emotional response came after Trump signed 10 executive orders on immigration, fast-tracking mass deportations and tightening border security. Reports say immigration raids have already taken place in cities like Chicago, New York, and Aurora, Colorado, with more planned next week.
According to NBC News, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has been directed to arrest 1,200 to 1,500 people daily. The administration’s new policy allows for the arrest of all undocumented immigrants, not just those with criminal records or security risks.
