Selena Gomez pens powerful essay about US immigration crisis

The actress/singer/producer has penned an essay for Time magazine and revealed that some of her own family members came to the US undocumented from Mexico.

"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," Gomez wrote, adding that her aunt came into the US in the back of a truck in the 1970s.

"My grandparents followed, and my father was born in Texas soon after," she wrote.

Gomez herself was born a US citizen. But not all are so fortunate.

"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.

Her family's experience inspired her to executive-produce a new docu-series for Netflix called "Living Undocumented."

She was approached about the project in 2017, Gomez said, and wanted to "shine a light on eight immigrant families in the US from different countries and backgrounds, all facing possible deportation."

"I watched footage outlining their deeply personal journeys and I cried," Gomez wrote. "It captured the shame, uncertainty, and fear I saw my own family struggle with. But it also captured the hope, optimism, and patriotism so many undocumented immigrants still hold in their hearts despite the hell they go through."

She met three of the young people featured in the series and says that as a Mexican-American woman, she felt moved to use her platform "to be a voice for people who are too afraid to speak."

"Living Undocumented" launches globally on Netflix on Wednesday.