Selena Gomez Claps Back at Politician Who Suggested She Be Deported After Emotional Video on ICE Raids
The actress, of Mexican descent, shared a now-deleted Instagram Story expressing her distress over the ongoing immigration crackdowns.
Selena Gomez has fired back at a politician who suggested she should be “deported” after she shared a heartfelt video on social media expressing her emotions over the recent wave of ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) raids.
The video, which was posted to Gomez’s Instagram Stories on Monday and later deleted, showed the singer visibly upset, sobbing as she discussed the mass deportations initiated over the weekend by the Trump administration. Gomez, whose paternal grandparents emigrated from Mexico, spoke through tears, saying, “My people are getting attacked.”
“I’m so sorry, I wish I could do something, but I can’t,” she added, expressing feelings of helplessness. “I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”
After facing backlash, the video was removed, and Gomez shared a brief statement saying, “Apparently it’s not okay to show empathy for people.”
Sam Parker, a former candidate for the U.S. Senate in Utah, responded by criticizing Gomez on X (formerly Twitter). He accused her of prioritizing undocumented immigrants over Americans, suggesting that because her family had crossed the border illegally, she should also be deported. His post read, “She has an entitlement attitude toward America, like her illegal g’parents. Maybe Selena should be deported, too?” He later doubled down, tweeting “Deport Selena Gomez.”
Gomez didn’t let the comment slide. She responded to Parker in an Instagram Story that she later deleted, writing, “Oh Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker. Thanks for the laugh and the threat.”
The recent ICE raids have sparked controversy, with nearly 1,200 arrests made over the weekend alone. Critics argue that deportation is not the solution to the U.S.'s immigration issues, especially since many of those arrested had no criminal records.
While some social media users criticized Gomez for her reaction, others supported her, praising her for being one of the few public figures to speak out in real time about the raids. Television personality Geraldo Rivera, who once supported President Trump, defended Gomez, saying on X, “Selena Gomez should be commended for her compassion and sincerity. People attacking her on social media should be ashamed.”
Gomez has long been vocal about her family’s immigration history and her support for undocumented individuals. She was a producer on the 2019 Netflix documentary series Living Undocumented, which followed the lives of families living in the U.S. without legal status. In a 2019 editorial for Time magazine, she explained that her aunt crossed the border from Mexico “hidden in the back of a truck” and that her grandparents followed soon after.
“Over the past four decades, members of my family have worked hard to gain United States citizenship,” Gomez wrote, reflecting on her family’s journey. “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.”
In her Time editorial, she acknowledged the inevitable criticism her involvement with Living Undocumented would draw, but she emphasized that the fear of backlash should never overshadow the urgency of addressing the real struggles that undocumented immigrants face.
“The worst criticism I can imagine is still nothing compared to what undocumented immigrants face every day,” Gomez wrote. “Fear shouldn’t stop us from getting involved and educating ourselves on an issue that affects millions of people in our country.”