Shakira and I have one thing in common: we’re both from Barranquilla, Colombia.

Recently, she made a statement about what it feels like to be an immigrant in the U.S., saying it means “living in constant fear.”

But here’s the thing: Shakira is an immigrant who lives in Miami and travels in and out of the U.S. freely, without any fear. If she were truly living in fear, she could easily return to Colombia—our home country—or to Spain, where she lived for many years.

The only fear Shakira seems to genuinely face is from tax authorities. In fact, she received a suspended three-year prison sentence in Spain for failing to pay her taxes.

That said, there’s nothing particularly special about Shakira’s freedom of movement. My family also lives in the U.S., and like her, they go in and out of the country whenever they want—without fear. Millions of immigrants who are in the country legally, move through ports of entry every day without concern.

It seems Shakira may be conflating the experiences of legal and illegal immigrants. They are not the same. One group followed the proper procedures to enter and remain in the country, while the other did not.

And yes—when someone enters or stays in a country illegally, it’s only normal to live in fear. But that’s not the experience of all immigrants. She’s blurring the line between fact and fashionable rhetoric.

In the end, while I respect Shakira as an artist and a fellow Barranquillera, I think she’s offering a selective version of the truth. Not all immigrants live in fear, not her, not my family, not the millions of immigrants who follow the rules.

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