Donald Trump's appointed "border tsar" staunchly defended the deportation of undocumented migrants following a tearful video posted by singer and actress Selena Gomez. In the video, Gomez, who has Mexican heritage, tearfully expressed, "All my people are being attacked, and children." She later posted a message apologizing alongside a Mexican flag emoji.
Although Gomez initially deleted the video, she later responded to critics, noting, "Apparently it's not OK to show empathy for people." However, she eventually took down this response too.
The "border tsar" stated that arrests targeted "public security threats and national security threats" as a priority. Additionally, previous statements have indicated that even undocumented individuals associated with criminal activities will face deportation.
Addressing concerns about human trafficking, he commented, "We have half a million children who were sex trafficked into this country, separated from their families, and lost to criminal cartels. This administration cannot account for over 300,000 of them. Where are the tears for them?"
On the other hand, some, like television host Megyn Kelly, criticized Gomez's actions, stating, "She deleted it after her fans reminded her that the majority of the country supports these policies, but I'm sure she was surprised by any backlash."
Selena Gomez, a Texan native with over 400 million Instagram followers, produced the Netflix documentary series Living Undocumented in 2019. She currently features in the popular Disney TV show Only Murders in the Building and received a Bafta nomination for her role in the musical film Emilia Perez, a leading contender in this year's Oscar race.