An American Pie actress has detailed the ‘inhumane’ conditions she faced after being detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while trying to procure a visa.
Jasmine Mooney was detained while crossing the San Ysidro border between Mexico and San Diego on March 3 and was held for 12 days at three different facilities by ICE agents.
The Canadian actress most notably appeared as Jackie in the 2009 sex-comedy flick, American Pie Presents: The Book of Love.
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According to the 35-year-old, she was put ‘in chains’ after immigration enforcement officers scrutinised her visa application paperwork, as reported by The New York Times.
In an interview with CTV News at the Vancouver International Airport, Mooney confessed she was ‘still processing’ the events of the last two weeks, admitting she hadn’t ‘eaten proper food in a while’.
“I’m just really going through the motions,” she stated.
It’s reported that Mooney was applying for a new Trade NAFTA (TN) work visa after hers was unexpectedly revoked.
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Alexis Eagles, who is the film star’s mom, claimed the application her daughter possessed was incomplete, which is why she was detained, as per the Vancouver Sun.
After three nights at the San Diego border, Eagles said the businesswoman was transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Centre in San Diego for another three days.
Mooney was then detained at the San Luis Detention Center in Arizona, and she's since broken her silence, revealing what conditions were like in an interview with 10 News Sandiego.
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“Every single guard that sees me is like 'What are you doing here? I don't understand - you’re Canadian. How are you here?’,” she told the news outlet.
“I have never in my life seen anything so inhumane,” she added, explaining how she’d been forced to sleep on a mat with no pillow.
“[I had] aluminum foil wrapped over my body like a dead body for two and a half days.”
Mooney has since announced via her Instagram account that she has returned home after her detention, thanking fans who sent unwavering messages of support.
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“I’m sorry if I haven't been able to respond to everyone — just got home after what felt like escaping a deeply disturbing psychological experiment,” she said in a now-expired Instagram Story.
“I am beyond grateful for my friends, family, and the media who worked tirelessly to get me out — without them, I’d still be there. I wouldn’t wish that experience on anyone.”
She claimed that while behind bars, she began writing an essay about her experience which is due to be posted soon.
“I refuse to let what happened break me; instead, I’m choosing to use my voice in the hope that it can help others.”
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Speaking to CTV News, she wasn’t informed why she had been detained by officials at the San Diego border.
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“No one told me anything. Not once,” she said. “I still don’t even know how I’m home.”
An ICE spokesperson has since confirmed to PEOPLE that Mooney was detained on March 3 for ‘not having legal documentation’ to be in the US.
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The statement claimed she was ‘processed in accordance’ with President Donald Trump's ‘Securing Our Border’ executive order, signed by the 78-year-old on January 20.
“A nation without borders is not a nation, and the Federal Government must act with urgency and strength to end the threats posed by an unsecured border,” the White House directive reads.
“One of my most important obligations is to protect the American people from the disastrous effects of unlawful mass migration and resettlement.”
Topics: Celebrity, Crime, Entertainment, US News, Canada
Ella Scott