What is Selena Gomez's ethnic background? Singer and actor cries about Mexicans being deported from the US

On January 27, American singer and actress Selena Gomez shared an emotional video on Instagram, reacting to the large-scale deportation of Mexican immigrants under Trump’s administration. Gomez, who is of Mexican and Italian descent, broke down in tears as she addressed the issue.

In a now-deleted video, the 32-year-old expressed her heartbreak over the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) crackdown, which resulted in the deportation of 956 individuals, according to the BBC.

"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," Gomez said while sobbing.

The video captioned with "I'm sorry" alongside a Mexican flag emoji resonated with her Mexican heritage and immigrant background.

Selena Gomez's father, Ricardo Joel Gomez, is of Mexican ancestry, while her mother, Mandy Teefey, has Italian roots. Gomez has frequently spoken about her strong connection to her Mexican heritage.

In an op-ed for TIME magazine in October 2019, she revealed that her paternal grandparents immigrated to the United States from Mexico. Her aunt was the first to cross the border in the back of a truck in the 1970s, followed by her grandparents. Her father was born in Texas soon after, making her a second-generation American.

---

Selena Gomez breaks down over immigration crackdown

Within half an hour of posting the video, Selena Gomez deleted her video from Instagram Story and replaced it with another post stating, "Apparently it’s not ok to show empathy for people." This post was also removed shortly after, leaving fans speculating about her motivations and concerns.

This is not the first time Selena Gomez has addressed immigration issues. In 2019, she executive-produced the Netflix docuseries Living Undocumented, which followed the lives of undocumented families in the U.S. The series aimed to humanize immigrants and shed light on the realities they face.

In her 2019 TIME op-ed, Selena Gomez wrote about her family's immigration story, explaining how fortunate she felt to have been born in the U.S. She also expressed fear for immigrants facing deportation, saying:

"But 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."

Following the recent deportations, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum confirmed that approximately 4,000 Mexicans had been sent back to their home country. The deportees, who included people of all ages, were returned on four flights using civilian aircraft after Mexico refused a deportation flight operated by the U.S. military.

Additionally, Trump's administration has initiated deportations to other countries, including Brazil and Colombia, as part of its renewed immigration policies.

According to ICE reports, arrests increased over the weekend, with 286 detained on January 25, 593 on January 24, and 538 on January 23. The crackdown has drawn sharp criticism from immigrant rights activists and celebrities alike.

A report by the Migration Policy Institute, via the BBC, noted that deportations under former President Joe Biden reached 1.5 million during his first four years, numbers that "mirror the deportation numbers in Trump's first term."

Recently, Selena Gomez starred in Emilia Pérez, which premiered at the 2024 Cannes Film Festival and received critical acclaim. She is also set to return for Only Murders in the Building season 4, currently in production.

On the music front, Gomez released her single Love On in February 2024 and has teased a new album expected later this year. Beyond entertainment, she remains focused on her beauty brand, Rare Beauty, and her mental health initiative, Rare Impact Fund.