Selena Gomez claps back at Senate candidate Sam Parker after his shocking call for her to be 'deported'

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: Selena Gomez isn’t one to shy away from speaking her mind - and she’s certainly not backing down after being attacked by Senate candidate Sam Parker.

It all began when the pop star and actress shared an emotional video on social media, pouring her heart out about former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies - particularly those targeting Mexican migrants.

Selena Gomez and Sam Parker's heated exchange 

Gomez, who has Mexican and Italian roots, was visibly in tears as she apologized for the hardships faced by migrant families. "All my people are getting attacked, the children," she sobbed. "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."

The video quickly went viral, with fans rallying around her emotional plea - but not everyone was feeling the love. Critics pounced, and Sam Parker led the charge with some shockingly harsh words.

Parker slammed Gomez on X. "Selena Gomez picked illegals over America b/c she’s the 3rd gen descendant of Mexican illegals who received citizenship in the ’87 Amnesty," he wrote. "She has an entitlement attitude toward America, like her illegal g’parents. Maybe Selena should be deported, too?"

But Parker didn’t stop there. He also took to his official campaign X account and doubled down with a blunt message: “Deport Selena Gomez.”

Despite the vitriol, Selena wasn’t about to stay silent. She fired back on her Instagram Story: "Oh Mr. Parker, Mr. Parker. Thanks for the laugh, and the threat," she wrote.

It seems the backlash against Selena’s original video was so intense that it was eventually removed from Instagram. Addressing the situation, she vented in a follow-up Instagram Story slide saying, "Apparently It’s Not OK to Show Empathy for People."

It's worth noting that Selena Gomez is a natural-born US citizen, hailing from Grand Prairie, Texas. While her father is of Mexican descent and her mother is Italian, Selena proudly embraces her heritage. In a past interview with Define American, she described herself as a “proud third-generation American-Mexican.”

The former Disney star has long been vocal about immigrant rights. She even produced 'Living Undocumented', a Netflix documentary showcasing the struggles of undocumented immigrants in America. Furthermore, Selena has shared personal anecdotes, including how her aunt once crossed the US-Mexico border hidden in the back of a truck.

Tom Homan's response and the immigration debate

Selena’s tearful video didn’t just rattle Parker - it also caught the attention of Trump’s former border czar Tom Homan, who addressed it during a Fox News interview.

"I don’t think we’ve arrested any families," Homan said, defending the Trump administration’s policies. "We’ve arrested public safety threats and national security threats, bottom line. President Trump won the election on this one issue—securing our border and saving lives."

Homan added that anyone upset about the policies should "go to Congress and change the law," insisting that the administration would "keep going. No apologies."

The broader conversation around immigration policies remains deeply polarizing. Polls indicate that most Americans support deporting migrants convicted of violent crimes, but opinions are more split when it comes to issues like family separation or ending birthright citizenship.

An AP-NORC poll conducted earlier this month revealed that while 83% of Americans back deporting violent offenders, only 43% support deporting all undocumented migrants. And when it comes to separating parents from their citizen children, the support plummets to just 28%.

Meanwhile, ICE is ramping up its efforts. According to The Washington Post, the agency plans to increase its daily arrest targets to between 1,200 and 1,500 people.

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