Key Takeaways
• On March 3, 2025, Jasmine Mooney, a Canadian TN visa applicant, was detained by ICE at the U.S.-Mexico border.
• She faced harsh detention conditions, including confinement in Arizona, constant restraints, and no access to basic necessities or due process.
• Mooney’s case reflects stricter U.S. border practices and rising detentions, raising concerns about transparency and treatment of foreign nationals.
On March 3, 2025, Canadian entrepreneur Jasmine Mooney found herself in a harrowing ordeal that has quickly drawn public attention and scrutiny. The 35-year-old woman, a resident of British Columbia 🇨🇦, was detained by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at the San Ysidro border crossing between Mexico 🇲🇽 and San Diego 🇺🇸. What followed was a series of events that have sparked concern among immigration advocates, attorneys, and the international community.
Mooney had traveled to the United States to reapply for a Trade NAFTA (TN) visa—a visa designed for professionals from Canada and Mexico under the former NAFTA agreement, now governed by the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA). Despite her preparations, which included carrying new job offer paperwork and immigration documents, Mooney was denied entry. She was arrested and later sent to a detention facility in Arizona 🇺🇸 in chains. Her case shines a light on both the changing dynamics of U.S. immigration policy and the treatment of detainees under federal immigration enforcement.
A Timeline of Events: From Detention to Arizona
Mooney’s troubles began when she arrived at the San Ysidro border crossing with her visa application materials. This specific entry point was one she had successfully used before and was suggested by her Los Angeles-based attorney. However, upon interaction with border officials, her attempt to enter the country resulted in her detention.
Starting at the San Ysidro border, where she spent three nights in a detention facility, she was then moved to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in San Diego. Conditions at each site were far from humane, according to her reports. After several days, an online system falsely indicated her release, but the reality took a different turn. Early on the morning of March 10, Mooney and approximately 30 others were loaded into transport vehicles and moved to the San Luis Detention Center in Arizona—a private, profit-driven facility.
During these transfers, detainees, including Mooney, were reportedly kept handcuffed and chained for hours. Mooney described enduring an entire day awake while restrained, emphasizing the physical and psychological toll this caused. In Arizona, she has been confined to a small, single concrete cell with constant fluorescent lighting, no natural light, little access to bathroom facilities, and no blankets or basic comforts.
The Root of Visa Issues
The root of the problem appears to stretch back to November 2024, when Mooney’s TN visa was revoked by a U.S. customs officer during a return trip from a vacation. Mooney had been working in Los Angeles for a health drink company, but the visa cancellation disrupted her professional life. After spending time in countries like Mexico and Guatemala, she returned home to Vancouver 🇨🇦, only to face trouble when reapplying for her visa.
Her connection to Holy! Water, the health tonic company that promoted beverages containing Delta-9 “full spectrum hemp,” has been suggested as a possible factor in her treatment. Although U.S. law allows hemp products with less than 0.3% THC, anything above this limit is classified as a controlled substance. While there’s no confirmation that this directly contributed to Mooney’s detention, the association has raised eyebrows and might have influenced the decision at the border.
“Inhumane” Detention Conditions
Mooney’s account of her detention serves as a grim reminder of the conditions many detainees face under ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Speaking through legal and personal connections, she described being held in a cold room upon her initial detainment. At Otay Mesa, she had to sleep on a mat without blankets or pillows and was only provided a thin covering made of aluminum foil. She likened the experience to an exercises in cruelty, with sleepless nights and inadequate protection from the cold.
At the Arizona facility, dubbed for-profit, the situation has only worsened. Her mother, Alexis Eagles, has called the treatment “inhumane,” detailing her daughter’s prolonged confinement in harsh conditions and frequent transfers in chains. What makes this more unsettling, according to immigration attorneys, is that Mooney has no criminal record and hasn’t been charged with any violations.
Diplomatic and Legal Efforts
Amid growing outrage, Canada’s Global Affairs department confirmed its awareness of Mooney’s case. Officials have reached out to local U.S. authorities to gather more details and provide consular assistance, but the Canadian government has emphasized that it cannot intervene in another country’s immigration procedures. The limits of diplomatic influence in cases like Mooney’s illustrate the challenges faced by individuals once they’re entangled in legal disputes at international borders.
San Diego-based immigration attorney Andrew Neitor noted a troubling increase in detentions of non-U.S. citizens under similar circumstances in recent months. Neitor stated that such detentions often occur for reasons that would not have previously warranted arrests, suggesting a shift in CBP and ICE practices. “They have many other options; detaining people is not the only method available,” he explained.
Mooney’s legal representation and personal contacts have expressed deep frustration. Her business partner, BJ McCaslin, voiced shock over her treatment, questioning why she remains detained given her clean record and professional background. Meanwhile, her friend Brittany Kors has actively contacted immigration attorneys and attempted to rally support in Canada but has been met with limited guidance about immediate solutions. Efforts to understand and address Mooney’s legal standing have yielded little progress, leaving her and her supporters confused about the path forward.
Wider Implications and Ongoing Concerns
Jasmine Mooney’s ordeal has raised broader concerns about the treatment of foreign travelers and potential shifts in U.S. border enforcement. Immigration attorneys have highlighted a disturbing trend: travelers like Mooney, who are denied entry, were traditionally allowed to withdraw their application and return to their departure country. Now, with cases like hers, travelers are instead detained in private correctional facilities without a clear specific justification.
Mooney is reportedly the third such traveler in the span of a few weeks to be sent to the Arizona detention center. These unexpected and increasingly frequent detentions are troubling to legal experts, who point out the troubling lack of transparency in decision-making processes at the border. Moreover, the profitability of such detention facilities has also stirred debates about monetary incentives embedded into federal immigration enforcement operations.
For many, these practices question long-standing assurances about fair treatment in border control and visa processing. The implications extend beyond Mooney’s case, suggesting a larger issue with policies and practices that fall under the jurisdiction of Customs and Border Protection.
The Human Cost Behind Policies
At its heart, Mooney’s case underscores the human toll of immigration enforcement procedures. Her detention, which seemingly lacks a reasonable basis given the facts shared by family and legal advisors, has deeply shaken her sense of security and left her in a state of uncertainty. While her supporters have mobilized in both the U.S. and Canada 🇨🇦, the subsequent delays, a lack of information, and the conditions of confinement add stress to an already complex immigration issue.
Her experience also serves as a cautionary tale for others navigating visa processes—or unpredictable border controls. From apparent shifts in CBP protocol to harsher detention practices, Mooney’s circumstances are a glaring reminder that being informed about immigration policy is more important than ever. As VisaVerge.com’s analysis suggests, the intersecting factors of visa laws, international travel, and enforcement trends make crossing into the U.S. increasingly fraught with uncertainty.
Moving Forward
As of March 13, Jasmine Mooney remains confined in Arizona’s San Luis Detention Center, stuck in procedural limbo. Her text messages to close contacts, in which she expresses total confusion and an inability to plan her next steps, have become emblematic of the challenges foreign nationals now face. In an environment where oversight, transparency, and accountability are being questioned, her case adds weight to ongoing debates about the state of immigration system reform within the U.S.
For those interested in the legal and procedural details surrounding TN visas, CBP policies, and detention procedures, visiting the official website of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) at https://www.uscis.gov can offer critical information. Meanwhile, individuals navigating work visas and border crossings are advised to consult thoroughly with qualified immigration attorneys.
Mooney’s case, still unfolding, has highlighted the urgent need for clarity, fairness, and humanity in U.S. immigration enforcement practices. Her story has become a powerful symbol of the challenges and unpredictability facing travelers—especially those navigating a system increasingly marked by rigidity and shifting regulations.
Learn Today
Trade NAFTA (TN) Visa → A visa for Canadian and Mexican professionals, created under NAFTA, now regulated by the USMCA agreement.
Detention Facility → A government or private center where individuals are held, often awaiting immigration proceedings or deportation.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) → A U.S. federal agency overseeing border security, customs, and immigration enforcement at entry points.
Delta-9 THC → A psychoactive compound in cannabis; U.S. law restricts its content in hemp products to under 0.3%.
Consular Assistance → Support provided to citizens abroad by their home country’s consulate, including legal or procedural guidance.
This Article in a Nutshell
Canadian entrepreneur Jasmine Mooney’s detention by U.S. immigration authorities highlights troubling shifts in border enforcement. Despite proper documents, Mooney faced harsh treatment, including confinement in private facilities. Her ordeal underscores growing concerns over visa policies, transparency, and detainee conditions. Mooney’s case serves as a stark reminder of the human cost behind changing immigration practices.
— By VisaVerge.com
Read more:
• Over 225 Face Immigration-Related Charges in Arizona in Just One Week
• Feds Ask Arizona Agencies to Join 287(g) Program, But None Agree Yet
• Arizona ICE Act Advances, Bringing Local Police Into Immigration Debate
• Trump-Era Immigration Policies Could Reshape Arizona’s Economic Future
• Arizona Proposition 314 Passed: Local Police to Enforce Immigration Laws
