
Last week, Selena Gomez posted a video of herself crying while promising to “try everything” to help those facing deportation. The Insta story was made in response to US President Donald Trump signing a number of executive orders which expanded ICE’s powers to arrest and detain unlawful migrants to the US.
“I just want to say that I’m so sorry. All my people are getting attacked. The children. I don’t understand,” the “Who Says” singer tearfully said to her 422 million followers. “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.”
She captioned the video with “I’m sorry” and added a Mexican flag emoji.
Gomez deleted the post after facing backlash from those criticizing her stance, but later she posted a second Instagram Story, writing: “Apparently it’s not OK to show empathy for people.” This was later also deleted.
The viral video prompted the White House to release a scathing response. In their official X account, they posted a video with the mothers of three women who “were murdered by illegal aliens,” in which they praised Trump’s immigration policies and blasted Selena’s response.
“Kayla Hamilton, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin were murdered by illegal aliens.
“Their courageous mothers had something to say to @SelenaGomez and those who oppose securing our borders. Watch (sic)” the caption read.
“You don’t know who you’re crying for,” Tammy Nobles, who lost her daughter Kayla Hamilton, fired off. “What about our children who were brutally murdered and raped and beat to death and left on the floor by these illegal immigrants? They didn’t cry for our daughters.”
“Seeing that video, it’s hard to believe that it’s actually genuine and real because she’s an actress,” remarked Alexis Nungaray, the mother of Jocelyn Nungaray. “My daughter was a child. There’s many other children whose lives were taken due to people who crossed here illegally.”
“I just feel like it’s a ruse to deceive people and to garner sympathy for lawlessness,” said Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin. “No one has stood up except for us mothers to cry out about our children.”
Many have defended Gomez in the wake of the criticism. They pointed out that her original video focused on the fates of children and innocent people unfairly caught up in the immigration crackdown and that, as a civil citizen, it is within her right to exercise freedom of speech.