Canadian actor detained at US border in ‘inhumane conditions’ for nearly two weeks
Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian actor and co-founder of the beverage company Holy! Water, says she faced a shocking experience at the U.S.-Mexico border. The 35-year-old was held in detention for nearly two weeks after U.S. officials found issues with her work visa.
Mooney, who had a small role in an American Pie movie sequel, was detained at the busy San Ysidro border crossing between Mexico and California on March 3. She explained that her work visa had been canceled unexpectedly back in November, and she had been trying to apply for a new one.
“I kept being asked, ‘You’re Canadian – how did you end up here?’ by every guard I saw,” Mooney said during an interview from inside an Arizona immigration detention center.
What Happened at the Border?
Mooney, who frequently traveled between Canada and California for work, said she hadn’t had any issues before. But during one trip back to the U.S., she was suddenly stopped by a border agent, questioned, and then detained.
According to Mooney, officers claimed that her visa wasn’t properly processed. They also raised concerns because her beverage brand, Holy! Water, uses hemp as one of its ingredients.
Her mother, Alexis Eagles, said that instead of advising Mooney to fix her paperwork or letting her return to Canada, U.S. officers arrested her.
Detention Conditions Called “Inhumane”
Mooney was initially held in a detention center in San Diego for three days. Then, she and about 30 others were moved to a facility in San Luis, Arizona, at 3 a.m.
Eagles described the conditions in the detention center as terrible: “They were all put in a concrete cell without any windows, blankets, or proper bathroom facilities. The lights were never turned off.”
Each time Mooney was transferred between facilities, she said she was handcuffed and shackled.
Mooney told reporters that her experience inside the private detention center was horrifying. “I had to sleep on a mat without a blanket or pillow, covered only by an aluminum foil blanket,” she said. “It felt like being part of a disturbing psychological experiment.”
Jasmine’s Background and Release
Mooney, who has been involved in Vancouver’s hospitality industry since 2008, was once featured in BC Business magazine for her work. She had moved from the Yukon to Vancouver to study at the British Columbia Institute of Technology and later pursued acting.
Her mother said Mooney had a valid three-year U.S. work visa, which was unexpectedly revoked. It’s unclear why the visa was canceled or why she was at the southern border. Mooney believes she followed advice from a Los Angeles-based attorney who had told her she could apply for a visa renewal at the border.
Mooney was finally released after nearly two weeks and returned to Vancouver on March 16.
Speaking at the Vancouver airport, she said, “I’m still processing everything. I haven’t slept or eaten properly for days.”
On Instagram, she thanked her supporters, saying, “I just got home after what felt like escaping a deeply disturbing situation.”
