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Trump's border czar slams Selena Gomez over her 'immigration' breakdown

Tom Homan, the former chief of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, questioned Selena Gomez over her stance when 'half a million children were sex trafficked'

selena gomez crying

Nandini Singh New Delhi

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Donald Trump’s 'border czar' Tom Homan has called out American pop singer and actor Selena Gomez after her now-deleted emotional Instagram post on the US government’s latest immigration crackdown went viral. Homan questioned the popstar over her stance when "half a million children were sex trafficked," adding that the operation will continue "without apology."
 
The now-deleted video saw Gomez, who has Mexican heritage, breaking down in tears over the immigration crackdown. “All my people are being attacked, and children,” she said in the video.
 
“I wish I could do something, but I can't.” She captioned it with “I’m sorry” and a Mexican flag emoji.
 
 
After the video received backlash, Gomez removed the post but later returned to social media to defend her stance. “Apparently it’s not OK to show empathy for people,” she wrote in an Instagram story, before deleting that as well.
 

What did Tom Homan say?

 
Reacting to Gomez's post, Tom Homan, the former chief of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), dismissed critics of the immigration raids. “If they don’t like it, then go to Congress and change the law. We’re going to do this operation without apology,” Homan told Fox News.
 
“We’re going to make our community safer... It is all for the good of this nation. And we’re going to keep going. No apologies. We’re moving forward,” he added.
 
Homan emphasised that ICE was targeting “public security threats and national security threats, bottom line.” However, he has previously stated that undocumented migrants caught up in these raids, even if not criminals, would also be deported.
 
In another Fox News appearance, Homan took direct aim at Gomez’s emotional plea, questioning where her tears were for child trafficking victims.
 
“We got a half a million children who were sex trafficked into this country, separated from their families, put in the hands of criminal cartels to be smuggled into the country. This administration can’t find over 300,000. Where’s the tears for them?” he asked.
 
The crackdown, ordered by US President Donald Trump, led to 956 arrests on January 27 alone, according to ICE. The operation is part of a broader effort to deport undocumented migrants, with thousands more expected to be sent back under the reinstated “Remain in Mexico” policy.
 

Team Selena Gomez vs critics

 
Selana Gomez’s tearful reaction divided social media. Many of her fans rallied behind her, including rapper Flavor Flav, who posted on X: “Team Selena Gomez. Again. That woman is always so brave to share her truth, and so many are quick to bully her.”
 
But others, including conservative commentator Megyn Kelly, were unimpressed. “She deleted it after her fans taught her that the majority of the country stands behind these policies, but I’m sure she was shocked to get any blowback whatsoever,” Kelly said on The Megyn Kelly Show.
 
Gomez, a Texas native, has been vocal about immigration issues before. In 2019, she produced and fronted the Netflix documentary series Living Undocumented, which followed eight immigrant families in the US.
 
Outside of activism, Gomez remains a dominant force in entertainment. She currently stars in the hit series Only Murders in the Building and recently earned a BAFTA nomination for her role in Emilia Perez, which leads this year’s Oscar race.

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First Published: Jan 29 2025 | 11:02 AM IST

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