Ellen Pompeo, celebrities weigh in on Trump deportations: What’s fact?

• Ellen Pompeo, Selena Gomez and Conor McGregor have recently spoken out about immigration and deportations. Pompeo questioned the treatment of felons, while Gomez highlighted the impact on children.
• McGregor, meanwhile, criticized the immigration policies of his native Ireland, which has seen a 400% rise in asylum seekers over five years. However, 80% of applications were rejected in January.
• Data from the Department of Homeland Security shows nearly 75% of recent ICE arrests involved accused or convicted criminals, not families or children alone.

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Ellen Pompeo is making headlines after her appearance on “The View” Monday, March 17. The actress took aim at President Donald Trump’s legal troubles and criticized his administration’s deportation policies.

She’s not the only celebrity weighing in. Public figures like Selena Gomez and Conor McGregor have also spoken out about mass deportations. But what’s fact, what’s fiction, and how do these statements hold up?

Pompeo’s comments on deportations

While promoting her new series “Good American Family,” the former “Grey’s Anatomy” star shifted the conversation to Trump and his immigration policies.

“Why are old white men the only ones who are allowed to be felons?” Pompeo asked on “The View.”

The facts on U.S. deportations

Pompeo’s claim raises the question of who is actually being deported. Under U.S. immigration law, felons who are deported are non-citizens. Individuals convicted of aggravated felonies, violent crimes, and drug trafficking are subject to removal.

While some reports suggest U.S. citizens have been mistakenly detained in immigration raids, deportation laws specifically apply to non-citizens. A March 13 press release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) states that nearly 75% of recent ICE arrests involved accused or convicted criminals.

Conor McGregor calls Ireland’s immigration policies a ‘travesty’

Irish mixed martial artist and former UFC star Conor McGregor met with Trump following a St. Patrick’s Day appearance. He praised Trump’s work ethic while discussing his concerns about immigration in Ireland.

“What is going on in Ireland is a travesty. Our government is the government of zero action with zero accountability,” McGregor said at The White House.

His comments reflect ongoing political debates in Ireland, where asylum seeker applications have surged nearly 400% in the past five years.

According to the Irish Examiner, Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan reported that 80% of asylum applications were rejected in January. In 2024, 65% of nearly 19,000 applications were denied, according to Ireland’s center-right political party.

Selena Gomez’s emotional video on child deportations

Singer and actress Selena Gomez also entered the immigration debate earlier this year. In a now-deleted video, she became emotional while discussing the impact of deportations on children.

“All my people are getting attacked. The children — I don’t understand,” Gomez said.

Her statement sparked backlash from critics like talk show host Piers Morgan and “border czar” Tom Homan.

While her concerns about families being impacted by immigration enforcement have some truth, the timing of her remarks is important. ICE has recently resumed the Obama-era practice of detaining families, including children, who enter the U.S. illegally. However, this policy was not in place when Gomez made her video.

According to DHS, the majority of recent deportations have targeted individuals with criminal records, not families and children alone.

While celebrities continue to speak out about Trump administration deportations, the facts show a more complex reality.

U.S. immigration enforcement remains focused on legal status and criminal history. However, debates continue over who is being targeted and why — a question that remains at the center of America’s ongoing immigration conversation.