WASHINGTON, USA — The White House has issued a sharp response to Selena Gomez after the actor and singer posted — and later deleted — a tearful video in which she expressed sorrow over the deportation of undocumented immigrants.
The White House released its own video on Friday, January 31, 2025, featuring commentary from mothers whose children were killed by undocumented individuals.
The video, captioned “Their courageous mothers had something to say to @SelenaGomez and those who oppose securing our borders,” appears to criticise Gomez for her remarks and calls her sincerity into question.
In the White House video, three women — mothers of victims Jocelyn Nungaray, Kayla Hamilton, and Rachel Morin — expressed frustration over Gomez’s stance, accusing her of ignoring the pain of families affected by crimes committed by undocumented immigrants.
“Seeing that video, it’s hard to believe that it’s actually genuine and real because she’s an actress,” said Alexis, the mother of Nungaray, who was killed by two Venezuelan men in June 2024.
“You don’t know who you’re crying for. What about our children who were brutally murdered and raped and beat to death and left on the floor by these illegal immigrants?” said Tammy Nobles, whose daughter, Hamilton, was killed in 2022 by a teenage member of the MS-13 gang.
The White House video appeared to counter Gomez’s initial remarks, in which she expressed distress over the deportation of undocumented families.
Kayla Hamilton, Jocelyn Nungaray, and Rachel Morin were murdered by illegal aliens.
Their courageous mothers had something to say to @SelenaGomez and those who oppose securing our borders. Watch ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/KfsqQGwhqj
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) January 31, 2025
“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 in her since-deleted post.
The singer, who is of Mexican descent, removed the video after backlash from Trump supporters but later addressed the controversy.
“Apparently it’s not OK to show empathy for people,” she wrote in an Instagram Story.
While the Trump administration has maintained that its deportation efforts target criminals, immigration advocates argue that families and vulnerable individuals have been swept up in enforcement actions.
Critics have also pointed out that being undocumented is a civil offense rather than a criminal one, though illegally crossing the border is classified as a federal misdemeanor.
The exchange underscores the ongoing national debate over immigration policy, border security, and the human impact of deportations.
Neither Gomez nor the White House has issued further comments.
