Selena Gomez has flexed her producer muscles again to create a documentary series, titled Living Undocumented, which follows several families facing the possibility of being deported from the US.
On Tuesday, the 26-year-old posted a teaser video on Instagram ahead of the series' premiere on 2nd October and stated that she was 'humbled' to be part of its making.
'The immigration issue is more complex than one administration, one law or the story you hear about on the news,' an excerpt of the video's caption reads.
'These are real people in your community, your neighbours, your friends – they are all part of the country we call home. I can’t wait for you guys to see this and hope it impacts you like it impacted me.'
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the singer and her mother, Mandy Teefey – who, together, worked as executive producers on the Netflix series 13 Reasons Why – have teamed up with the streaming platform to executive produce the series.
Living Undocumented chronicles the stories of eight families who face potential deportation from the US and shines light on the country’s thorny immigration system.
Earlier this month, the BBC reported that Mexico’s Foreign Secretary Marcelo Ebrard said that the country has it successfully curbed the number of undocumented migrants crossing into the United States by 56% since May.
In June, the two countries agreed to a 90-day window to reduce the stream migrants crossing into the US after Trump had warned he would implement tariffs on Mexican imports if they did not improve the illegal migrant situation.
‘I chose to produce this series, Living Undocumented, because over the past few years, the word 'immigrant' has seemingly become a negative word,’ said Gomez – who is of Mexican decent - according to the publication.
‘My hope is that the series can shed light on what it's like to live in this country as an undocumented immigrant first-hand, from the courageous people who have chosen to share their stories.’
In February, President Trump said that he would use emergency powers to build a wall on the US border with Mexico, resulting in outrage from Democrats. In August, the Trump administration announced that migrant families who cross the border illegally could be detained indefinitely under a new regulation.
Last year, the Administration caused international outcry after it separated children from their parents as a means of circumventing the Flores settlement, which limited how long the government could hold migrant children in custody and outlined the care they must receive.
In June, Gomez voiced her concern on Instagram for children and families being separated at the border.
In the caption of a black and white photo of herself, she wrote: ‘Kids in cages! Sleeping on concrete floors with aluminium blankets! No access to simple dignities! How is this still happening??? It’s absolutely inhumane to treat anyone like this let alone children.
‘I can’t even imagine what they are going through. We need to get this to finally stop! Don’t stay silent on this human rights issue- please call your reps 202.224.3121 #CloseTheCamps #FamilesBelongTogether.'
Katie O'Malley is the Site Director on ELLE UK. On a daily basis you’ll find Katie managing all digital workflow, editing site, video and newsletter content, liaising with commercial and sales teams on new partnerships and deals (eg Nike, Tiffany & Co., Cartier etc), implementing new digital strategies and compiling in-depth data traffic, SEO and ecomm reports. In addition to appearing on the radio and on TV, as well as interviewing everyone from Oprah Winfrey to Rishi Sunak PM, Katie enjoys writing about lifestyle, culture, wellness, fitness, fashion, and more.
