As reported in the Guardian today, Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian entrepreneur and actor known for her role in the American Pie franchise, has just lived through a nightmare that should serve as a stark warning to every Canadian thinking about crossing into the United States.
Mooney was detained for nearly two weeks in inhumane conditions by U.S. border authorities over what amounts to nothing more than an incomplete visa application. This shocking ordeal is not just an isolated case—it’s a glaring example of how Canadians can be treated like criminals at the U.S. border, even when they’ve committed no crime.
How It Happened
On March 3, Mooney, co-founder of the beverage brand Holy! Water, was attempting to enter the U.S. from Mexico at the San Ysidro border crossing—the busiest land border in the world—when she was detained. Instead of being sent back to Canada or advised to fix her paperwork, U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) arrested her on the spot.
She was then locked in a detention center, despite having no criminal record and no charges against her. What followed was something out of a dystopian horror film.
Inhumane Conditions in U.S. Detention
Mooney was:
- Kept in a concrete cell with no natural light.
- Forced to sleep on the floor with no blanket or pillow, given only an aluminum foil sheet for warmth.
- Denied access to proper food and rest for days.
- Chained and handcuffed every time she was moved.
- Subjected to round-the-clock fluorescent lighting, preventing her from sleeping.
At 3 AM one morning, Mooney and 30 other detainees were suddenly removed from their cells and transferred to another facility in Arizona without explanation.
“I have never in my life seen anything so inhumane,” Mooney said in an interview with ABC 10.
A Nightmare for Any Canadian
Her mother, Alexis Eagles, who lives in British Columbia, was horrified by what happened. “Instead of helping her fix her paperwork or simply sending her back to Canada, they threw her in a detention center like a criminal,” she told The Vancouver Sun.
This isn’t just about Mooney—it’s about the shocking and unpredictable treatment Canadians can face at the U.S. border. The fact that a well-known businesswoman and actor with an established visa history was subjected to this kind of abuse should alarm every Canadian considering a trip south.
The U.S. Border: A Dangerous Gamble
Mooney was eventually released and landed in Vancouver in the early hours of Saturday morning, utterly exhausted and shaken. “It felt like escaping a deeply disturbing psychological experiment,” she wrote on Instagram.
And yet, no explanation has been provided by U.S. officials for her treatment. No one has been held accountable. This could happen to any Canadian—entrepreneur, traveler, student, or visitor—at any time.
This is why no Canadian should ever cross the U.S. border unless it is absolutely vital. A short trip, a vacation, or a business visit is simply not worth the risk of ending up detained in an American prison, treated worse than a criminal for nothing more than a paperwork issue.
Until Trump and the rest of the GOP is gone, the U.S. border is not safe for Canadians.
UPDATE: Must-read article in today’s Guardian written by Jasmine Mooney. I’m absolutely disgusted at how the US treats people. For-profit prisons have to be stopped. Fascism has to be stopped. Trump and the GOP need to be stopped, forever.
Link here.
Here’s a summary of the (long — 3700 word) article, but you should read the whole thing. Ms. Mooney is a great writer and her story is gripping. She has good photos too:
What should have been a routine visit to a U.S. immigration office turned into a nightmare for Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian entrepreneur and actor known for her role in the American Pie franchise. Despite holding a valid Trade NAFTA (TN) work visa, Mooney found herself detained by U.S. authorities without explanation, denied access to a lawyer, and subjected to inhumane treatment in an ICE detention center for nearly two weeks. Her ordeal serves as a stark warning to all Canadians about the risks of crossing the U.S. border—even with the proper paperwork.
Originally from Whitehorse, Yukon, Mooney had built a successful career in Vancouver, working in film, hospitality, and real estate before shifting her focus to the health and wellness industry. She secured a TN visa to work for Holy! Water, an American beverage company, and had been traveling between Canada and the U.S. without issue—until one day, an immigration officer at the San Diego border questioned the legitimacy of her visa. Without any formal charges or legal proceedings, her visa was suddenly revoked, and she was told she could only work remotely from Canada unless she reapplied.
Determined to follow the proper process, Mooney attempted to do just that. She returned to the San Ysidro border crossing—where her visa had originally been processed—intending to apply again. A U.S. officer acknowledged that she had done nothing wrong and advised her to apply through the consulate instead. Expecting to simply return home and complete the process, she began searching for a flight back to Canada.
Then, without warning, Mooney was detained.
She was led into a room, searched, and had her belongings taken from her. Guards confiscated her shoelaces, patted her down, and provided no explanation beyond, “You are being detained.” Every attempt to ask why or for how long was met with the same response: “I don’t know.”
For two days, she was locked in a freezing concrete cell with five other women, denied a proper blanket or bed, and given only an aluminum foil sheet for warmth. The fluorescent lights never turned off, and she was unable to contact anyone. When she was finally moved, it was not to Canada—but to Otay Mesa Detention Center, a private immigration facility.
There, she encountered dozens of other women, many of whom had lived and worked in the U.S. legally for years before being detained over minor visa issues. Some had been separated from their families, others had been held in legal limbo for months. The common thread? None of them had a criminal record.
After being shackled and transported again, Mooney found herself at yet another facility—the San Luis Regional Detention Center in Arizona, where the conditions were even worse. Inmates were given one blanket, one plastic spoon, and a single Styrofoam cup to use for all meals and water. At one point, newly arrived detainees—including Mooney—were lined up and forced to take pregnancy tests in an unsanitary communal bathroom.
Meanwhile, her friends and employer in Canada fought desperately to find answers. Unable to even determine where she was being held, they eventually went to the media to expose the situation. Soon after, ICE officials suddenly informed Mooney that she was being released—but not before they falsely claimed she could have left earlier if she had simply signed a withdrawal form. In reality, no officer had ever spoken to her about this option during her detention.
Mooney’s experience highlights a system designed to profit from indefinite detention. Facilities like Otay Mesa and San Luis are run by private corporations, which receive hundreds of millions of dollars from the U.S. government based on the number of detainees they hold. The longer people remain trapped in the system, the more money these companies make—giving them no incentive to release anyone quickly.
Even with a Canadian passport, legal representation, and media attention, Mooney was detained for nearly two weeks without due process. For thousands of others—many of whom are asylum seekers or long-term residents—there is no end in sight.
Her ordeal serves as a stark warning: If this could happen to her, it could happen to anyone.
Until there is accountability and real reform, no one should ever set foot in the United States unless absolutely necessary.
