Selena Gomez got emotional in a since-deleted Instagram video on Monday, January 27, as she addressed the ongoing crackdown on immigration under President Donald Trump’s administration. THE Emilie Pérez The star, 32, tearfully expressed her grief over the arrests, sharing a message of empathy and frustration alongside a Mexican flag emoji.
“All my people are under attack, children. I don’t understand,” Gomez said in the raw video. “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. In a follow-up Instagram Story, Gomez wrote, “Apparently it’s not okay to empathize with people,” reflecting on the backlash she received for her remarks.
His message came just a day after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested 956 people in a nationwide operation, marking the largest crackdown since Trump took office, according to the BBC. Over the previous three days, ICE reported hundreds of additional arrests, including 286 on Saturday, January 25, and 593 on Friday, January 24.
Gomez has long been an advocate for immigrants’ rights, using her platform to raise awareness about the challenges faced by undocumented people. In 2019, she produced the Netflix docuseries Living without paperswhich followed the lives of undocumented families in the United States. She also shared her own family’s immigration story in an op-ed for TIMErevealing how his grandparents crossed the Mexican border in the 1970s.

“Undocumented immigration is an issue I think about every day,” Gomez wrote in her essay, crediting her family’s “courage and sacrifice” for her being born a U.S. citizen. However, she acknowledged that her experience is not the norm, saying she fears for others in similar situations when she reads about immigration.

While Gomez’s heartfelt message struck a chord with her fans, it also highlighted the polarizing nature of the immigration debate. Her emotional appeal underscores her commitment to using her voice for those unable to speak out, continuing her advocacy amid ongoing national discussions over immigration policies.