Selena Gomez broke down in tears (Image: Getty Images)
US singer and actress was visibly emotional this week amid reports of a massive deportation drive in the US. The crackdown on immigration has allegedly begun following President ‘s inauguration earlier this month, with reports emerging of deportations targeting individuals from various countries, including Mexico.
A self-described Mexican-American, Selena, 32, appeared to address the situation in a heartfelt video shared on her Story on Monday, which has since been widely shared on social media. In the now-deleted video, a tearful Selena can be heard saying: “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.”
Alongside the video, Selena included a Mexican flag emoji and wrote a simple yet poignant message: “I’m sorry.”
In a subsequent post on her Story, reported by People magazine, Selena seemingly hit back at critics, writing: “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.”
Both posts have since been removed. Selena has previously opened up about her family’s journey from Mexico to the US, reports .
Selena Gomez was seen in tears in a video shared on social media (Image: Instagram/ @selenagomez)
In a 2019 op-ed for Time magazine, she revealed that her aunt had crossed the border “hidden in the back of a truck” during the 1970s, followed by her paternal grandparents. Her father, Ricardo Gomez, was born in Texas shortly thereafter.
She further stated: “In 1992, I was born a U.S. citizen thanks to their bravery and sacrifice. Over the past four decades, members of my family have worked hard to gain United States citizenship.
“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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Selena Gomez was seen in tears in a video released amid a crackdown on immigration in the US (Image: Instagram/ @selenagomez)
At the time, Selena also expressed her understanding that the system is “flawed” and that the country “needs rules and regulations”. However, she emphasised the importance of remembering that the US was “formed by people who came” from other countries.
She urged readers to “time to listen” to those directly affected by immigration policies and to “get to know” the individuals whose “complex stories” have been “reduced to basic headlines”. She concluded by expressing her sense of “responsibility” to use her platform as “a voice” for those “too afraid to speak”.
Selena Gomez, as an executive producer, penned an article in advance of the docuseries ‘Living Undocumented’ that dropped that year.
The series provides a gripping look at the lives of eight undocumented families caught in the tumultuous waves of changing US immigration policies, summed up succinctly in its synopsis: “Eight undocumented families’ fates roller-coast as the United States’ immigration policies are transformed.”