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By Billal Rahman
Immigration Reporter
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The recent detention of Canadian actress and entrepreneur Jasmine Mooney by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has raised concerns among immigration attorneys regarding the increasing challenges Canadians may face when entering the United States.
Mooney, who is known for her role in American Pie Presents: The Book of Love and as co-founder of the wellness brand Holy! Water, was detained for 12 days after attempting to renew her work visa at the U.S.-Mexico border on March 3.
Why It Matters
There is growing concern about who could be at risk under President Donald Trump's hardline mass deportation plans. Attorneys view Mooney's case as indicative of a trend toward stricter enforcement of immigration policies, even affecting those with prior legal status. Canadians planning to enter the United States are advised to ensure all their documentation is in order and to remain informed about the evolving immigration landscape to mitigate potential issues at the border.
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What To Know
U.S. immigration lawyer Jim Hacking says Mooney's case is part of a rising number of incidents in the past 10 days where individuals with different immigration statuses— including one with a permanent resident card—have been detained or deported in unprecedented ways.
Hacking says he has been advising non-citizens to avoid leaving the United States, as he believes there is a growing risk they may not be allowed to return.
This warning also applies to Canadians with current or past work visas or other forms of immigration status, he adds.
"In the 17 years I've been practicing immigration law, I've never heard of a TN visa holder being detained for days on end and not being allowed to enter," said Hacking, founder of Hacking Immigration Law in St. Louis, Missouri.
"I have lots of clients from Canada," Hacking said. "I do believe that many Canadians have taken it way too casually with their immigration status over the years."
The former actress-turned-entrepreneur from British Columbia secured a three-year U.S. work visa last spring and had been living and working in Los Angeles, her mother told CBC. However, after visiting home in November, Mooney discovered her visa had been revoked when she attempted to re-enter the United States.
Mooney said she later returned to the Mexico border with a new job offer and the necessary visa paperwork, but because she had already been flagged, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers denied her entry back into Mexico and detained her instead.
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Mooney was held in chains and forced to sleep on a mat at the San Luis Detention Center in Arizona after being arrested while attempting to cross the U.S.-Mexico border to renew her documentation.
After spending 12 days in various facilities across the Southwest, she told CTV News at Vancouver International Airport on Saturday that she is "still processing" what happened.
"I haven't slept in a while and haven't eaten proper food in a while, so I'm just really going through the motions," she said.
Mooney was detained on March 3 after crossing the San Ysidro border between Mexico and San Diego.
One immigration experts told Newsweek Mooney would likely not "have met with the same repercussions had she applied to enter the United States at a border crossing between Canada and the US in similar circumstances."
"Overall, at this time it is obviously more difficult for people to gain entry to the United States," David Garon, managing partner of the Garson Immigration Law, said. "This would also include Canadian nationals. That being said, in my experience since the election, I have not seen overly restrictive policies applied to applicants coming from Canada."
Mooney's mother, Alexis Eagles, said her daughter was carrying an incomplete application for a new Trade NAFTA (TN) work visa after her original visa was unexpectedly revoked.
Eagles said Mooney was held at the border for three nights before being transferred to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego for an additional three nights.
Newsweek has previously exposed allegations of abuse at the ICE-run detention center in California that is operated by CoreCivic, including cases of sexual assault, medical neglect, and mistreatment of migrants.
Meanwhile, Mooney's case comes amid rising tensions between the U.S. and Canada, driven by Trump's claims that Canada and Mexico have not done enough to curb the flow of fentanyl across the border, sparking a back-and-forth over tariffs. Trump has also extended unwanted offers to Canada to join the U.S. as the country's 51st state, which has also strained relations.
What People Are Saying
Lawyer Jim Hacking told Global News: "She was technically outside the United States at the Port of Entry trying to obtain admission, and what should have happened is they should have simply refused her.
"But the idea that they would take her into custody and detain her under what she describes as pretty harsh conditions is part of this overall plan they have to deter all immigration to the United States. They don't want people coming to the United States."
Hilton Beckham, Customs and Border Protection assistant commissioner of public affairs told Newsweek in a statement**:** "Foreign nationals who promote extremist ideologies or carry terrorist propaganda are inadmissible to the U.S., plain and simple. A visa does not guarantee entry—CBP has the final authority after conducting rigorous security checks. Officers act swiftly to deny entry to those who glorify terrorist organizations, advocate violence, or openly support terrorist leaders and commemorate their deaths. Anyone found with extremist materials linked to a U.S.-designated terrorist group will be removed."
David Garon, Managing Partner of the Garson Immigration Law, told Newsweek: "It is my impression through many years of practice that CBP has been more restrictive at the Southern border then they have been at the Northern border. This has certainly been more evident since the election."
He added: "Overall, at this time it is obviously more difficult for people to gain entry to the United States. This would also include Canadian nationals. That being said, in my experience since the election, I have not seen overly restrictive policies applied to applicants coming from Canada. We do not know going forward, given the fragile state of relations between the two countries, if things will become harder or if indeed the immigration provisions of the free trade agreement itself will be reviewed, but as of now, at least as far as I can see, not much has changed."
An ICE spokesperson told Newsweek: "Jasmine Mooney was detained March 3 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement for not having legal documentation to be in the United States. Mooney was processed in accordance with the 'Securing Our Borders' Executive Order dated January 21. All aliens in violation of U.S. immigration law may be subject to arrest, detention and, if found removable by final order, removal from the U.S., regardless of nationality."
What Happens Next
The administration is expected to ramp up ICE arrests as Trump looks to fulfill his campaign promise of deporting millions of immigrants without legal status.
Update 12:52 a.m. ET: Immigration lawer David Garon's comments and a photo of Mooney have been added.
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