Selena Gomez cries in video reacting to Donald Trump's immigration orders: 'I'm so sorry'
As President Donald Trump follows through on his campaign promise to "mass" deport people living in the U.S. without legal status, Selena Gomez shared her emotional reaction on social media.
In a video that was reportedly posted to, and subsequently deleted from, her Instagram Story on Monday, the Golden Globe-nominated actress wiped away tears as she told her followers "I'm so sorry" and mourned how "All my people are getting attacked."
"The children — I don't understand," the 32-year-old said, per screen recordings shared on social media, including by @PopBase. "I'm so sorry, I wish I could do something for the kids. I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise." In text over the clip, she wrote "I'm sorry" and included the Mexican flag emoji.
USA TODAY has reached out to Gomez's representative for comment.
In his first week in office, Trump declared a national border emergency; deployed 1,500 troops to the border, including a combat force; and deputized thousands more federal law enforcement officers to arrest immigrants, among other moves.
The emergency declaration came as illegal border crossings are at their lowest level in more than five years. In early January, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported roughly 1,000 migrant encounters daily, from California to Texas – down 75% from a year ago.
Despite a pledge to reduce illegal immigration during his first term, Trump never achieved the level or annual pace of deportations that President Barack Obama did. The Department of Homeland Security recorded around 2 million deportations during Trump's first term and 2.1 million during Obama's second term.
Under the Biden administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement focused on arresting those who represented public safety and national security threats.
Last week, Trump and Congress – under the new Laken Riley Act – shifted the priority for immigration enforcement to more people in the U.S. without legal status, including those without serious criminal offenses, mandating detention for people accused, charged with or convicted of low-level crimes. Trump also declared criminal cartels as "global terrorist groups," allowing the deployment of the military.
