Tue Jan 28 22:12:16 UTC 2025: ## Selena Gomez’s Tearful Instagram Post on Immigration Arrests Sparks Political Backlash
**NEW YORK** — Actress and singer Selena Gomez’s emotional reaction to recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrests has ignited a firestorm of criticism from conservative political figures. Gomez posted a video to her 422 million Instagram followers on Monday, weeping while discussing the 956 arrests made as part of President Trump’s immigration crackdown. While the post has since been deleted, screenshots circulated widely online.
The reaction was swift and intense. President Trump’s “border czar” and several commentators, including one who called for Gomez’s deportation, criticized the actress. The controversy is particularly noteworthy given Gomez’s personal connection to the issue; she is the granddaughter of undocumented Mexican immigrants who later gained US citizenship, and her aunt crossed the border illegally. This personal experience informed her 2019 Time essay on immigration, where she described the struggles faced by her family and emphasized the human cost of immigration policies. Gomez also served as an executive producer on the Netflix documentary “Living Undocumented,” which further highlighted the plight of undocumented families.
Gomez’s emotional response, though deleted, underscores the deeply divisive nature of immigration in the United States. Her tears, reflecting the personal impact of these policies on individuals and families, have unexpectedly become the focal point of a heated political debate.
First Piper 