Selena Gomez recently shared a deeply emotional video on her Instagram Story, shedding tears as she discussed the ongoing deportation of Mexican immigrants.
In the clip, the 32-year-old actress expressed her distress over President Donald Trump’s threat of mass deportations, which has sparked fear of family separations.
A Heartfelt Plea
“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,” a tearful Gomez said in her video.
She was visibly overwhelmed, explaining how difficult it was to witness the struggles of immigrants, especially the children caught in the crossfire.
The post, which has since been deleted, featured a Mexican flag emoji as part of her caption: “I’m sorry.”
After taking the video down, Selena shared another message: “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people,” suggesting the backlash she had received for expressing her emotions.
The Immigration Crackdown
The day before Selena’s emotional message, a nationwide immigration crackdown led to the arrest of 956 people, marking the highest number of detentions since Trump’s return to office.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that federal agencies, with expanded detention powers, were involved in raids across cities such as Chicago, Newark, and Miami.
Gomez’s Personal Connection to Immigration
Selena’s passion for immigration reform is deeply personal.
Her 2019 Netflix documentary, Living Undocumented, documented the lives of undocumented families in the U.S.
During this time, Gomez also opened up about her own family’s immigration story.
Her aunt crossed the border from Mexico in the 1970s hidden in the back of a truck, followed by her paternal grandparents and eventually, her father, Ricardo.
Gomez’s mother, Mandy Teefey, is a U.S. citizen, and in an essay for Time magazine, the singer and actress reflected on her privileged position as someone born in the United States.
She shared, “I never forget how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family and the grace of circumstance.”
A Voice for the Voiceless
As a Mexican-American woman, Selena feels a strong responsibility to use her platform to advocate for those who can’t speak up.
“Fear shouldn’t stop us from getting involved and educating ourselves on an issue that affects millions of people in our country,” she stated.
She has also spoken out about the inhumane treatment of immigrants in the U.S., including children held in detention centers.
“How is this still happening??? It’s absolutely inhumane to treat anyone like this, let alone children,” she wrote in 2019.
Standing Up for Immigrants
Selena has long been an advocate for immigrant rights.
In 2020, she gave a heartfelt commencement speech for Define American’s Immigrad 2020, a virtual ceremony celebrating immigrant graduates.
She emphasized that regardless of immigration status, every immigrant’s journey is integral to the American story.
“Each and every one of you has a unique tale of becoming an American,” she told the graduates.
Reconnecting with Her Roots
In addition to her activism, Selena has recently reconnected with her Mexican heritage.
While preparing for her role as Emilia Pérez in an upcoming project, she took Spanish lessons for six months to improve her fluency.
Although she grew up speaking Spanish at home, Selena admitted that moving to Los Angeles for her career caused her to lose much of her language skills.
She explained, “I lost it. That’s kind of the case for a lot of Mexican-American people.”
However, she continues to honor her culture through her work.
“From releasing an album in Spanish to pursuing this movie, I don’t think this will be the last thing I do in Spanish,” she shared.
Moving Forward
Selena’s efforts to raise awareness about the immigration crisis reflect her dedication to both her heritage and the struggles faced by many immigrants in the U.S.
Through her advocacy, her work, and her personal connection to the issue, Selena Gomez remains a powerful voice for change.