Selena Gomez broke down in tears over Donald Trump's new deportation plans

In a since-deleted post on Instagram, she cried: "I just want to say that I'm so sorry. 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."

She captioned the video with a Mexican flag emoji, and added: "I'm sorry."

The 32-year-old star was met with fierce backlash from Trump supporters accusing her of being performative.

After deleting the initial clip, she wrote on her Instagram Story: "Apparently it's not OK to show empathy for people."

She has since deleted that post too.

Last week, Trump signed a number of ex ecutive orders which expanded ICE's powers to arrest and detain unlawful migrants to the US.

In the past, Selena has been vocal about her family's history after they illegally crossed the border from Mexico, although she pointed out that they "worked hard to gain United States citizenship".

In an 2019 essay for Time magazine, she wrote: "Undocumented immigration is an issue I think about every day, and I never forget how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family and the grace of circumstance.

"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."

Although she acknowledged a need for "rules and regulations", Selena pointed out the importance of immigration.

She continued: "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.

"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."