Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian national and former actress, faced unexpected challenges when she attempted to bring her visa application to the San Ysidro border crossing in California earlier this month. Despite being prepared for potential rejection, she was unprepared for the detainment that followed after immigration officers flagged her work permit paperwork.
Mooney, 35, who had been offered a marketing position with a U.S.-based health and wellness startup, was informed that she should have applied at a U.S. consulate instead. This miscommunication led to her being detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for 12 days.
During her detention, Mooney described being confined to a small cell with minimal provisions and experiencing a dehumanizing process that included being shackled and transported to an ICE detention center. She expressed her confusion and distress, stating, “I’m not trying to be here illegally. I just want to go home.”
Mooney was applying for a TN visa, which allows professionals from Canada and Mexico to work temporarily in the U.S. Her initial application had been rejected due to missing documentation, and her subsequent attempts to re-enter the U.S. were met with further complications, including a revoked visa at the Vancouver airport.
Her case reflects a broader trend of detentions at the border, which have increased under the current political climate. Immigration attorney Leonard D.M. Saunders noted that while some clients have successfully processed their visas at the San Ysidro border, he was concerned about the potential for complications in Mooney's situation.
Mooney's ordeal included being transferred to another ICE facility in Arizona, where she and other detainees underwent invasive procedures and were subjected to uncomfortable living conditions. Her situation gained media attention, prompting criticism from officials, including British Columbia's Premier David Eby, who highlighted the negative impact of such detentions on Canadian citizens and U.S.-Canada relations.
After 12 days, Mooney was released and returned to Canada, where she plans to appeal her five-year ban from re-entering the United States. She expressed her love for America and her desire to return to the life she was building there.