A Canadian woman is using the power of the press to fight her deportation process after attempting to re-enter the U.S. without legal documents.
Border Patrol arrested 35-year-old Jasmine Mooney at the San Ysidro border crossing (San Diego border) in Tijuana last week. Mooney claimed to ABC 10 News that she was taken by immigration authorities while following legal processes.
“I was reapplying for my work visa and with no warning about what was about to happen I was taken by ICE,” said Mooney.
Mooney moved to Los Angeles, California from Vancouver, Canada last summer with a Trade NAFTA visa (TN Visa) for a drink company she cofounded, Holy! Water. This visa allows Canadian citizens to present the required documentation to a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officer at certain U.S. ports of century or at a designated pre-clearance/pre-flight inspection station. Required documents include proof of Canadian citizenship, letter from a prospective employer, and a credentials evaluation (if applicable, with any applicable fees). Prospective TN employers may choose to file on behalf of a Canadian citizen as well.
Per Mooney, U.S border officer revoked this visa on a recent visit home. Although the exact reason for this revocation wasn’t disclosed, the inclusion of an illegal substance, Delta-9 “full spectrum hemp,” in her company’s products may have been the justification. Mooney told the news that her visa was revoked for being “unprofessional” because she was lacking the “proper letterhead” on her paperwork.
Mooney was taken to the Otay Mesa Detention Center in California before her transfer to her current location, the San Luis Regional Detention Center.
Mooney described her accommodations in the San Luis prison as “inhumane.” Mooney also criticized her accommodations at the Otay Mesa Detention Center, citing “awful” food and nontraditional bedding.
“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 said.
The “aluminum foil” to which Mooney refers were likely the Mylar blankets commonly used in detention facilities (also known as “space blankets,” because they were first developed by NASA in the 1960s). These blankets keep the body warm during cold temperatures and cool during hot temperatures. They are also commonly used by first responders for victims experiencing hypothermia, shock, or bodily trauma; outdoorsmen for emergency situations to keep warm, cool, and dry; and even athletes in extreme conditions preceding or following competition.
The private company overseeing the prison in which Mooney was housed, Core Civic, told ABC 10 News that they provide three “nutritious” meals a day, approved by a registered dietitian, to their inmates.
Mooney indicated to ABC 10 News that she shouldn’t be held to the same standards for immigration because she’s Canadian.
“Every single guard that sees me is like ‘What are you doing here? I don’t understand – you’re Canadian. How are you here?’” said Mooney.
Mooney’s mother, Alexis Eagles, said the Canadian consulate in San Diego couldn’t do much in the way of securing Mooney’s release. Mooney made these remarks in a Facebook post seeking to raise awareness of her daughter’s plight.
Eagles also expressed dissatisfaction with the prison amenities, echoing her daughter’s description of the conditions as “inhumane.” Eagles also asserted that illegal crossers shouldn’t be viewed as criminals.
“They are housed together in a single concrete cell with no natural light, fluorescent lights that are never turned off, no mats, no blankets, and limited bathroom facilities,” said Eagles. “What we have learned of the ICE system and its treatment of detainees is inhumane and deeply concerning. Being detained is one thing, but there’s NO excuse for the way people are treated while in custody or for the delays in deportation. They are not criminals, and they just want to go home.”
