"I Wish Selena Gomez hadn’t deleted her emotional Instagram video"

selena gomez with an offshoulder top against a wavy striped background
"Why I respect Selena’s vulnerable IG breakdown" Getty Images

Maybe you missed Selena Gomez’s now-deleted Instagram Story video, posted on 27 27 January—the one captioned “I’m sorry” with a Mexican flag emoji. In it, she cries in clear emotional distress over her hurt for what’s happening to immigrants amid Immigration Customs Enforcement (ICE)’s ramped-up deportations at the direction of the new Trump administration. “All my people are being attacked, the children. I don’t understand. I’m so sorry; I wish I could do something but I can’t.” She ended her message by saying, “I don’t know what to do. I’ll try everything, I promise.”

I couldn’t have related to the video more. What’s happening right now in the United States is extremely triggering to me, the daughter of two Ecuadorian immigrants. During President Donald Trump’s first week in office, he signed multiple executive orders on immigration. One of which seeks to end birthright citizenship. A right that grants citizenship to children born in the U.S., regardless of their parent’s legal status. A right that makes me a citizen of this country. Fortunately, this executive order was temporarily blocked by a federal district judge. Trump has also authorised ICE officers to enter hospitals, schools, and churches—places where people have the right to feel safe—to deport people.

Just this week, a substitute teacher in Texas admitted that he wrote to ICE and asked them to visit the school where he works because it has “many students who don’t even speak English.” As a fellow ESL [English as a Second Language] kid, this one hurt. The overall climate this has created leaves me in a state of constant suspense and fear—like a helpless child, alone, and unheard. Seeing those sentiments reflected in a celebrity eased some of my feelings of isolation.

But evidently not everyone feels the same way. The reaction to her video was so intense, Selena deleted it entirely, only adding a follow-up story that read, “Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy to people.” Internet commenters took to X, formerly known as Twitter, and various comment sections on other platforms to call for Selena herself to be deported, deem her performative, or say that because she’s a billionaire, she can do something about it herself.

Sam Parker, a man known for losing a Utah senate seat, tweeted, “Deport Selena Gomez.” In response, Selena wrote on her Instagram Story, “Oh Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker Thanks for the laugh and the threat.” Talk show host Piers Morgan chimed in, tweeting, “Posting yourself weeping over illegal immigrant criminals being deported is a new level of absurd celebrity narcissism.”

Despite what these personalities and anonymous trolls might say, Selena’s message is helpful. It helped me. Selena is currently the third-most-followed person on Instagram. Her video provided comfort to millions of fans who are immigrants or know immigrants and feel scared right now. It reminded us that we are not alone during this time when our country is so divided and certain people are so emboldened with hate. And even though it is scary to think that a billionaire like Selena feels like they don’t have resources or power to stop what’s happening, it is comforting to know that we’re all in the same place with this right now. No matter how successful you become, you can still feel small sometimes—and that’s okay.

Selena is one of the only celebrities who has spoken about the mass deportations in the country. Shutting her down is exactly what the far right wants—and her progressive message is being lost when it should be replicated. It makes other celebrities and people like me question if they should speak up for fear of the same backlash.

Well, I refuse to be silent. I refuse to agree with the far right’s idea that all immigrants are criminals. My family, friends, and neighbours are proof that it isn’t true. And this is why Selena’s message hits so close to me. I, too, cried for my people. You might see it as performative or think it should have stayed in the drafts, but to me, it felt raw.

My heart breaks for the people who don’t feel secure in an environment that is so unforgiving. Families are being broken, children are being removed from their parents, spouses are being separated, and students are being pulled out of school. Who are we to tell someone like Selena Gomez that her feelings about such obvious tragedies are not valid? As some people in this country sharpen their pitchforks, it’s important to remember that softness and caring can have even more of an impact than hate. Empathy is a powerful tool and we can’t forget to use it or look down on it, especially at a grand scale. So with that, me and my people will continue to, in the words of Selena, kill them with kindness.

If you're in the U.S. and want to know more on your rights regardless of your immigration status, these organisations that are here to help:

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