On March 3, 2025, Jasmine Mooney, a 35-year-old Canadian actress and co-founder of a beverage brand, went to the San Ysidro port of entry near San Diego to apply for a new work visa. She did not come back out that day. According to news reports, she was denied entry, taken into custody, and held by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for about 12 days.
What happened
Mooney was applying for a TN visa, a category created under the North American trade agreement that lets Canadian and Mexican professionals work in the United States. Canadian outlets reported that an earlier three-year work visa of hers had been revoked in November 2024.
After she was detained, she was held in the San Diego area and then moved to a detention center in Arizona. A San Diego television station interviewed her in custody on March 13. She landed in Vancouver shortly after midnight on March 15.
Timeline
- November 2024: her previous work visa is revoked, according to Canadian news reports.
- March 3, 2025: she is denied entry at San Ysidro and detained.
- Following days: she is held near San Diego, then transferred to a facility in Arizona.
- March 13: she gives an interview from custody and is told she will be leaving.
- March 15: she arrives back in Vancouver.
What each side said
ICE said she was detained because she did not have legal documentation to be in the United States, and that her case was processed under an executive order on border security signed in January 2025.
Mooney and her family described the conditions as inhumane, citing cold concrete cells, lights that stayed on, and limited access to a phone or a lawyer. She said she was given little explanation of what was happening. No criminal charge against her was reported.
What is not clear
Reports differ on the exact length of her detention: some say 11 days, most say 12. Her explanation of why the earlier visa was revoked is her own account and was not confirmed by the government.
Why the story drew attention
The case was widely covered because it involved a citizen of a close U.S. ally using a routine professional visa category, and because a person applying at a land border is generally treated as an applicant for admission. An officer can refuse entry, and what follows a refusal depends on the facts of each case.
Sources
This article is a summary of publicly reported events, prepared for general information. It is not legal advice and does not take a position on the matters described. Immigration rules and court rulings change often, and every situation is different. For advice about your own circumstances, please speak with a licensed immigration attorney.
