
Actress and singer Selena Gomez made headlines this week after posting an emotional video in which she tearfully decried the deportation of illegal migrants by the Trump administration. However, President Donald Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, responded by asking an even more pressing question: Where is the concern for the children who are trafficked and exploited at the hands of criminal cartels?
Homan, the former acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and now Trump’s border czar, spoke with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday. He expressed frustration over Hollywood figures’ selective outrage.
“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,” Homan said. “This administration can’t find over 300,000. Where’s the tears for them?”
Gomez, a 32-year-old former Disney Channel star, posted a now-deleted Instagram video in which she lamented the deportation of illegal migrants, some of whom have criminal records, including convictions for sexual offenses against children.
“All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don’t understand,” Gomez said tearfully. “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.”
After receiving backlash, Gomez posted on her Instagram Story, “Apparently it’s not okay to show empathy for people.” However, that post was also later deleted.
As part of his administration’s renewed efforts to secure the southern border, President Trump has declared drug cartels as foreign terrorist organizations, citing the national security risks they pose to the United States. He also signed an executive order declaring a national emergency at the southern border and directed the Department of Defense to deploy additional personnel.
Homan emphasized that the administration’s crackdown is focused on dismantling cartels that profit from human trafficking, drug smuggling, and other violent crimes.
“[Trump’s] gonna put the cartels out of business. He declared them a terrorist organization,” Homan told Hannity. “We’ve got the whole of government — it’s going to dismantle these people and wipe them off the face of the Earth. They’re not going to go lightly.”
Homan further explained that these policies will not only curb illegal immigration but will also address the larger issue of child trafficking and the spread of deadly fentanyl across the country.
“It’s worth the investment,” Homan said. “It’s a one-time cost to secure this nation and make America safe again.”
While Gomez’s concerns centered on migrants being deported, many of those apprehended have criminal records, including convictions for child sex offenses. According to ICE records, over 530 illegal immigrants were arrested in recent deportation operations, including child sex offenders and gang members.
Among those arrested was an Ecuadorian national in Buffalo, New York, convicted of rape, and a Dominican national, Pedro Julio Mejia, convicted of sexual conduct against a child. Agents also apprehended Gokhan Adriguzel in New York, a Turkish national flagged as a known or suspected terrorist.
In San Francisco, another arrest involved Magdaleno Zenen Hernandez Garcia, a Mexican national convicted of continuous sexual abuse of a child under 14.
Homan’s response to Gomez highlights a growing concern about the priorities of public figures who speak out on immigration issues. While there is sympathy for migrants facing deportation, the voices of trafficked children and their families often go unheard.
For Christians, the issue of justice and protecting the vulnerable is central to the faith. Scripture calls believers to defend the innocent and take a stand against evil. Proverbs 31:8-9 urges, “Speak up for those who cannot speak for themselves, for the rights of all who are destitute. Speak up and judge fairly; defend the rights of the poor and needy.”
While compassion for migrants is important, so is addressing the devastating impact of human trafficking and the crimes committed against innocent children. As the Trump administration works to dismantle criminal organizations responsible for these atrocities, the question remains: Who will stand for the trafficked children?