Additional Coverage:
- Selena Gomez, who sobbed over ICE raids, spars with critic over family’s immigration story (newsbreak.com)
Local actress and singer Selena Gomez tearfully spoke out against recent ICE raids over the weekend, sparking controversy and calls for her deportation. Gomez, who is of Mexican descent, posted a video on social media expressing her sorrow over the raids targeting undocumented immigrants.
In the now-deleted video, Gomez cried while stating her concern for families and children impacted by the enforcement actions. She later posted that it shouldn’t be wrong to show empathy.
Gomez’s emotional response follows the Trump administration’s decision to lift restrictions on ICE operations at sensitive locations like schools and hospitals. This change has raised concerns about the potential trauma for children witnessing parental arrests.
The actress has been a vocal advocate for immigrants, producing the Netflix docuseries “Living Undocumented” and writing about her family’s immigration story. She has described her family’s journey to citizenship and expressed gratitude for their sacrifices.
Despite her advocacy, Gomez faced online backlash, including calls for her deportation from a former Republican political candidate. While some criticized her stance, others, including musician Flavor Flav, defended her right to express her views. Gomez responded to the criticism with humor, thanking the candidate for the laugh and the threat.
The former candidate has since used the attention to promote nationalist views. Meanwhile, a Trump administration official defended the ICE raids, stating that they target criminals and aim to improve community safety. The administration’s new “expedited removal” policy allows for faster deportations, potentially leading to mass deportations.