Actress and singer Selena Gomez expressed her displeasure with recent U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids in an emotional video posted on Instagram towards the end of January 2025. Gomez sobbed as she said, “All my people are getting attacked, the children,” in the since-deleted video. I don’t get it. I’m very sorry; I wish I could help, but I’m unable to. I have no idea what to do. I swear, I’ll try everything.

The video was uploaded on January 26, 2025, the same day that ICE conducted a massive operation that led to 956 arrests, the most since President Trump took office again. Gomez’s heartfelt reaction demonstrated her compassion for the people impacted by the immigration crackdown, especially the children.

Gomez received a lot of negative feedback on social media after the video was made public. Critics charged her with in an attempt to garner attention and called the post a “publicity stunt.”

Gomez removed the video in response to the criticism and posted a follow-up message that read, “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people.“

The border czar for the Trump administration, Tom Homan, defended the ICE raids in response to Gomez’s video. He stressed that ICE operations target people with a criminal history and said the administration has “no apologies” for targeting illegal migrants. Asserting that the operations are for the safety of the country, Homan urged detractors to seek reforms through Congress.

Gomez has been a vocal supporter of the rights of immigrants. She produced the Netflix documentary series “Living Undocumented,” which focused on the hardships faced by different immigrant families who were afraid of being deported, in 2019. She also penned an opinion piece for Time magazine, talking about her family’s own immigration experiences and voicing her worries about how immigrants are treated in the United States.

The incident highlights the stark differences in public perceptions of immigration laws and the function of public leaders in promoting social causes. Critics questioned Gomez’s intentions and the propriety of her emotional outburst, while her supporters commended her empathy and readiness to use her position for advocacy.

The difficulties celebrities who participate in political discourse face in navigating public scrutiny and the possibility of backlash are also brought to light by this event. Gomez’s story illustrates the complexity of handling such a divisive topic and the larger social discussion surrounding immigration.