Selena Gomez Has Responded to the Senate Candidate Who Said She Should Be Deported

As one of the most popular celebrities on the internet, Selena Gomez has a lot of influence. In a video posted on Jan. 27 that has since been deleted, she used that influence to acknowledge the pain of those who are now being deported out of the country under the Trump administration.

Following the posting of that video, many wanted to know why she was responding to someone named Mr. Parker. Here's what we know about who Mr. Parker is, and why she felt the need to respond to him.

In Selena's original video, which she posted while she was clearly emotional, she called out the Trump administration's new immigration policies, which led to Immigrations and Custom Enforcement raids across the country and the arrest of 956 people.

“I just want to say that I’m so sorry. All my people are getting attacked,” the Mexican-American singer and actor said. “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,” she continued.

Selena deleted the video soon after it was posted, but was met with fierce backlash from Trump supporters, and particularly for Senate candidate Sam Parker. It's unclear what Sam is actually running for, but after Selena posted the video, Sam suggested on X (formerly Twitter) that she should be deported.

Selena, who is an American citizen, cannot legally be deported from the country. Selena has openly acknowledged that members of her family crossed the border from Mexico illegally and even produced an entire documentary in 2019 called Living Undocumented. Her family has since "worked hard to gain American citizenship."

“Selena Gomez picked illegals over America b/c she’s the third-gen descendent of Mexican illegals who received citizenship in the ‘87 Amnesty," Parker wrote. "She has an entitlement attitude toward America, like her illegal g’parents,” he added. “Maybe Selena should be deported, too?”

In a post on Instagram, Selena responded to Sam's threat, writing: “Oh Mr Parker, Mr Parker. Thanks for the laugh and the threat.”

Sam seemed thrilled that he had gotten the attention of someone so high profile, writing: “Selena Gomez has responded to me,” alongside a cry laughing emoji. “American Nationalism is back. With a little boost from Selena Gomez.”

Selena, for her part, has written in the past about the way undocumented immigration impacted her life, and how much she thinks about it even years after her parents crossed the border.

“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," she wrote in 2019.

“I don’t claim to be an expert. I’m not a politician, I’m not a doctor, and I don’t work in the system at all,” she continued. “ I understand it’s flawed and that we need rules and regulations, but we also have to remember that our country was formed by people who came here from other countries.”