A Canadian entrepreneur and actress has opened up about her harrowing ordeal after being detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials at the U.S.-Mexico border. Jasmine Mooney, a 35-year-old who once starred in the 2009 film "American Pie Presents: The Book of Love," now resides in Los Angeles as the co-founder of the wellness brand Holy! Water. While confined within the San Luis Regional Detention Center in Arizona on March 12, Mooney shared her harrowing tale with San Diego ABC News affiliate KGTV, detailing how a journey back to her native Canada turned into a nightmare of shackles and imprisonment.
"We were held captive for 24 straight hours, chains wrapped around us," she recounted to the outlet about her transfer. PEOPLE magazine has reached out to ICE for additional commentary.
Mooney described the detention conditions as "inhumane," according to the TV station's report. "Every single guard who laid eyes on me would ask, 'What are you doing here? I don't get it — you're Canadian. How did you end up here?'" she revealed to KGTV.
Mooney explained that she had been visiting her family in Vancouver in November when she discovered that her three-year work visa had been revoked. With the intention of renewing her visa and re-entering the United States, she had planned to travel back to San Ysidro, California — the place where she had initially obtained the visa — armed with new job paperwork.
Mooney's immigration lawyer, Len Saunders, told CityNews Vancouver that entering the U.S. through San Ysidro had historically been a "straightforward" process, especially for Canadian citizens. However, following President Donald Trump's reelection in November, the shifting political landscape made Saunders wary of Mooney's plan.
"Jasmine mentioned she was heading to San Ysidro. I said, 'I don't think that's a wise move given this new administration and the current political climate,'" Saunders recalled. "I advised her, 'If you're my client, I'd probably suggest crossing at the northern border instead. I have a bad feeling about this since the new administration took over.'"
Upon arriving in San Ysidro and attempting to re-enter the United States on March 3, Mooney was once again denied entry.
Traditionally, Saunders recounted, "Upon visa denial, one is merely refused entry and told to be on their way, returning later with the missing requirements." However, Mooney's experience diverged drastically from this norm. She claims she was promptly apprehended by ICE and confined for three nights within the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. Sharing her harrowing tale with KGTV, Mooney revealed, "I was confined to a cell, compelled to rest on a meager mat, devoid of both blanket and pillow, with aluminum foil wrapped around me like a corpse for two and a half long days. I have never witnessed such inhumanity."
Following this ordeal, Mooney was shuffled to various facilities across the southwestern United States in subsequent days. On March 9, Sunday, the online tracking system signaled her release, leading Mooney's mother, Alexis Eagles, to assume in a Facebook post that her daughter was being deported and escorted to an airport. "Yet, 24 hours later, there was neither sign nor communication from her, plunging us into extreme anxiety," she continued. "We eventually discovered that approximately 30 individuals, Jasmine among them, were forcefully evicted from their cells at 3:00 am and transferred to the San Luis Detention Center in Arizona."
Mooney alleges to KGTV that she and her fellow detainees were "chained and awake for 24 hours" during this terrifying transfer. Throughout the turbulent eleven days, Mooney's family and friends remained vigilant, tirelessly seeking updates on her condition.
Her business partner, BJ McCaslin, told CityNews that Mooney had messaged him last week, expressing that her detention felt "like a harrowing nightmare." He concurred, "It's a nightmare indeed. She has no clue how this transpired." "No one knows what's transpiring, and that's our utmost concern, isn't it? If she's accused of a crime, we want her to have the chance to consult with legal counsel and undergo due process," McCaslin elaborated. "But from what we gather, it's merely a detention, and we yearn for transparency in this situation and an expedited resolution."
Regarding her own government, Global Affairs Canada—the division of the Canadian government responsible for diplomatic affairs—has acknowledged that a Canadian is being detained in Arizona. Nevertheless, spokesperson Brittany Fletcher stated, "Every country or territory decides who may enter or exit its borders. The Government of Canada cannot intervene on behalf of Canadian citizens regarding another country's entry and exit requirements."
British Columbia Premier David Eby pressed the Canadian government to "do all they can," cautioning that Mooney's detention only exacerbates the already strained relations between the United States and Canada. "What about our relatives working in the States? What about when we cross the border? What kind of experience await us?" he queried reporters via CityNews. "The harm this inflicts on the U.S. economy—through tourism decline, business relationship disruption, and impacted visa applications for skilled workers unobtainable elsewhere—is reckless, the president's approach. This woman must be repatriated to Canada as swiftly as possible."
With no resolution in sight, Mooney and her loved ones strive to remain optimistic. "Jasmine is an adventurous and diligent young woman, and we eagerly await her return home," Eagles pleaded in her Facebook post.
