Selena Gomez is facing backlash after posting an emotional social media clip where she was seen weeping over Donald Trump’s widespread deportation of undocumented immigrants in the U.S. The video, which went viral, led to Gomez losing over 750,000 Instagram followers.
On January 26, the BBC reported that a nationwide immigration sweep led to the arrest of about 1,000 people—the highest since Trump returned to office. Multiple federal agencies with expanded detention powers participated in the raids across cities like Chicago, Newark, and Miami.
Gomez, whose grandparents immigrated to Texas from Mexico, posted the now-deleted clip on January 27. “I’m so sorry. All my people are getting attacked,” she tearfully told her 422 million followers. “I wish I could do something.”
Supporters praised her empathy, calling her tears “heartbreaking yet inspiring.” Others criticized her, arguing she could take more concrete action instead of just crying. Some even suggested she house undocumented immigrants herself.
The White House responded with a tweet featuring victims of crimes by undocumented immigrants. Despite losing followers, Gomez remains one of the most-followed celebrities. She later wrote, “apparently it’s not ok to show empathy.”
