Selena Gomez isn’t holding back after a Republican politician targeted her on social media. The 32-year-old singer and actress responded to Sam Parker, a 2018 Republican Senate candidate from Utah, who posted “Deport Selena Gomez” on X (formerly Twitter) after she shared an emotional video reacting to recent immigration policies in the U.S.
Deport Selena Gomez. https://t.co/QkkDIBWBKD
— Sam Parker 🇺🇲 (@SamParkerSenate) January 27, 2025
Parker’s post came after Gomez uploaded an Instagram Story where she appeared to address the recent immigration crackdown under the Trump administration. In the since-deleted video, Gomez expressed deep concern for families affected by mass deportations, writing “I’m sorry” alongside an emoji of the Mexican flag. She added in the video, “All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand. 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.”
After Parker’s controversial comment began making rounds online, Gomez fired back on her Instagram Stories. Over a plain black background, she wrote, “Oh, Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker. Thanks for the laugh and the threat.” In a follow-up post, she added, “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.”
The backlash comes after 956 individuals were arrested in a nationwide immigration sweep last week, marking one of the largest crackdowns under Trump’s presidency, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Per reports by the BBC, the sweep saw nearly 600 arrests on Friday alone, sparking nationwide debates about immigration policies.
Gomez has been vocal about her advocacy for immigrant rights, drawing on her own family’s history. In a 2019 Time op-ed, she shared the story of her aunt, who crossed the Mexican border in the back of a truck in the 1970s, followed by her grandparents. Her father was born in Texas shortly after. “Undocumented immigration is an issue I think about every day,” she wrote. “I never forget how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family and the grace of circumstance.”
Gomez also executive-produced Living Undocumented, a Netflix docuseries that followed the lives of undocumented families in the U.S. The show highlighted the emotional toll of deportation, an issue Gomez said weighs heavily on her. “When I read the news headlines or see debates about immigration rage on social media, I feel afraid for those in similar situations. I feel afraid for my country,” she wrote in the op-ed.
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