Selena Gomez responded to a politician who said she should be “expelled” after publishing a video now deleted in her crying in recent immigration repression.
Gomez, whose paternal grandparents emigrated from Mexico, initially published a video on his Instagram stories on Monday, sobbing in the middle of mass deportations initiated by President Donald Trump this weekend. Gomez spoke of tears in the video that “my people are attacked”.
“I’m really sorry, I would like to be able to do something, but I can’t,” said Gomez. “I don’t know what to do. I will try everything, I promise it.”
Instagram stories are supposed to remain visible for 24 hours, but it appeared that the video was then deleted after a wave of backlash. Gomez posted, then deleted, a statement that said “apparently, it is not ok to show empathy for people”.
Sam Parker, who ran for the American Senate in Utah in 2018, attacked Gomez on X, accusing him of choosing undocumented immigrants on the Americans because she is a “descendant” of Mexican immigrants who have crossed the border illegally.
“She has an attitude of law towards America, like her illegal parents. Perhaps Selena should be expelled too?” He wrote. He later quoted his own article by simply saying “Export Selena Gomez”.
Gomez responded in an Instagram story on Monday evening, which she also deleted later.
“Oh M. Parker, Mr. Parker,” wrote Gomez. “Thank you for laughter and threat.”
During the weekend, Trump ordered several federal agencies to participate in immigration raids across the country. Nearly 1,200 people were arrested by US immigration and customs forces on Sunday, but only 52% of undocumented immigrants placed in police custody had a criminal record.
Being without papers in the United States is considered a civil offense, but not a crime. It is however a crime to return to the United States without authorization after being expelled.
There were Mixed online answers to Gomez Crying’s video, some criticizing his position on immigration problems and some calling her to say that she “can” do nothing when she is a celebrity with abundant resources .
Others defended Gomez as one of the few celebrities to speak in real time during immigration raids. The personality of television Geraldo Rivera, who once supported Trump, posted on X in Defense of Gomez and noted: “We cannot get out of our immigration crisis”.
“Selena Gomez should be congratulated for her compassion and sincerity,” wrote Rivera. “People who attack him on social networks should be ashamed.”
Gomez was producer of the 2019 Netflix Documentary Series “Living Unocmented”, which followed eight families living in the United States without legal immigration status. She wrote an editorial magazine in Time explaining her support for the project.
In the editorial, Gomez declared that his aunt had crossed the border of Mexico “hidden at the back of a truck” and that his grandparents followed later. His father was born in Texas, just like an American citizen due to the citizenship of the birth law.
“Over the past four decades, my family members have worked hard to win citizenship in the United States,” she wrote. “Undocumented immigration is a problem I think every day, and I never forget how blessed I am to be born in this country thanks to my family and the grace of circumstances.”
She said that the series had reminded her of the fear and uncertainty of her family members, but also their hope. Gomez wrote that she was aware that her work on “Living Untredéd” would probably bring backlands.
“But the truth is that the worst criticism that I can imagine is still nothing compared to what undocumented immigrants are confronted every day,” wrote Gomez. “Fear should not prevent us from getting involved and educating ourselves on a problem that affects millions of people in our country.”
