Los Angeles-based entrepreneur and American Pie Presents: The Book of Love actress Jasmine Mooney is speaking out after a routine visa renewal turned into a nightmare. The 35-year-old Canadian native claims she was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and subjected to “inhumane” conditions, including being shackled and “wrapped in chains” during a transfer between facilities.
Mooney, who co-founded the wellness brand Holy! Water, was attempting to reenter the U.S. on March 3 after her three-year work visa was unexpectedly revoked. What followed was an 11-day ordeal that has left her family, friends, and even Canadian officials demanding answers.
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From Hollywood to Handcuffs: A Visa Renewal Gone Horribly Wrong
Mooney, a Vancouver native, has been living and working in Los Angeles for years. After her work visa was revoked during a trip home to Canada in November, she planned to return to San Ysidro, California—where she initially obtained the visa—to renew it with updated job paperwork.
Her immigration lawyer, Len Saunders, warned her against crossing through San Ysidro, citing the shifting political climate under the new administration.
“I said, ‘Look, if you are my client, I would probably advise you to do this on the northern border,’” Saunders told CityNews Vancouver. “I just have a bad feeling.”
Unfortunately, his concerns were justified. Upon arriving at the border, Mooney was denied entry and immediately detained by ICE.
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“Inhumane” Conditions: Sleeping on Mats, Wrapped in Foil
Mooney described her detainment at the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego as a traumatic experience.
“I was put in a cell, and I had to sleep on a mat with no blanket, no pillow, with an aluminum foil wrapped over my body like a dead body for two and a half days,” she told San Diego’s KGTV.
Her ordeal didn’t end there. After three nights at Otay Mesa, Mooney was transferred to multiple facilities across the southwestern U.S. During one transfer, she alleges she and other detainees were “up for 24 hours wrapped in chains.”
A Family’s Desperate Plea
Mooney’s family and friends have been left in the dark about her situation. Her mother, Alexis Eagles, took to Facebook to share her frustration after an online tracking system falsely indicated Mooney had been released.
“We assumed this meant she was being deported and escorted to an airport,” Eagles wrote. “However, 24 hours later, there was no sign of her, no communication, and we were extremely worried.”
Mooney’s business partner, BJ McCaslin, echoed these concerns, calling the situation a “nightmare.”
“No one knows what’s going on, and that’s our biggest concern here,” he said. “If she’s charged with a crime, then we’d like for her to have an opportunity to have counsel and go through due process. But from what we’re understanding, it’s just a detainment.”
Canadian Officials Reaction
The Canadian government has confirmed it is aware of Mooney’s detainment but has emphasized that it cannot intervene in another country’s border policies.
“Every country or territory decides who can enter or exit through its borders,” said Global Affairs Canada spokeswoman Brittany Fletcher.
However, British Columbia Premier David Eby has urged the Canadian government to do “all they can” to resolve the situation.” He warned that Mooney’s detainment could further strain U.S.-Canada relations, impacting tourism, business, and cross-border travel.
“What about our relatives who are working in the States? What about when we cross the border? What kind of an experience are we going to have?” Eby said. “It is reckless, the approach of the president. And this woman should be brought back to Canada as quickly as possible.”
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As Mooney remains detained in Arizona, her loved ones are holding onto hope for a swift resolution.
“Jasmine is an adventurous and hard-working young woman, and we desperately want her home,” Eagles pleaded.
Mooney’s case has sparked outrage and raised questions about the treatment of detainees in U.S. immigration facilities. With no clear timeline for her release, her story serves as a stark reminder of the complexities—and potential dangers—of navigating the U.S. immigration system.
