Canadian actress arrested, held at ICE facility after attempting to apply for visa
Thirty-five-year-old Canadian actress Jasmine Mooney first gained prominence when she appeared in the 2009 film "American Pie Presents: The Book of Love."
However, Mooney recently gained attention for getting locked up at an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility.
Mooney founded a Los Angeles-based bottled water company
According to ABC's 10 News in San Diego, the actress was taken into custody last week after speaking with an official at the San Ysidro border crossing.
Mooney explained to 10 News that she founded the Los Angeles-based Holy! Water brand but first ran into trouble when she traveled back to Canada.
She stated that her attempt at returning to Los Angeles was thwarted when her visa was revoked, saying, "They told me I was unprofessional because I didn't have a proper letterhead on my paperwork."
On the advice of her attorney, Mooney later flew to Mexico and sought entry at the San Ysidro crossing with a new visa application.
However, she claims that her application was denied, whereupon she was arrested and transported to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California.
Actress claims she "had to sleep on a mat with no blanket, no pillow"
"Every single guard that sees me is like 'What are you doing here? I don't understand - you’re Canadian. How are you here?'" Mooney recounted.
"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 continued before adding, "I have never in my life seen anything so inhumane."
Brian Todd is a spokesperson for Core Civic, a private company which runs Otay Mesa Detention Center, and he disputed Mooney's accusation that detainees are given substandard food.
"Menus are reviewed and approved on a regular basis by a registered dietitian to ensure appropriate nutrition is provided to those entrusted to our care," he told 10 News.
Mooney's mother hopes that her daughter will be released soon
Mooney, who was subsequently transferred to another facility in Arizona, indicated that as of Wednesday she had yet to be charged with any crimes and the actress remained uncertain as to when she would be released.
Alexis Eagles is Mooney's mother, and she expressed hope on Friday that her daughter will be back in Canada by the weekend.
"I am feeling incredibly optimistic. I am hoping that Jasmine is on her way home," Eagles told 10 News. "I’m holding my breath until I know for certain that she is on a plane."
