A Canadian actress and businesswoman who appeared in "American Pie Presents: The Book of Love" in 2009 has revealed her difficult ordeal after being held by ICE while trying to get a new visa. Jasmine Mooney explained she was detained by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement at the southern border despite not facing any criminal charges.
Officials took her into custody at the San Ysidro crossing between Mexico and San Diego on March 3. She had gone to this border point after discovering last November that her three-year TN work visa had been canceled when she attempted to fly from Vancouver to Los Angeles. Following her lawyer's guidance, she went to San Ysidro, where she had previously obtained her first work permit, carrying a new job offer and visa documents.
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In her conversation with KGTV, Mooney explained she entered through Mexico, where border agents first told her to visit a US Consulate to apply for legal work status again. She was then blocked from returning to Mexico and taken into custody.
American Pie Actress Being Held By ICE! This Is SCARY ... (Source: perezhilton.com)
From inside the San Luis Regional Detention Center in Arizona, she told reporters: "Every single guard that sees me is like 'What are you doing here? I don't understand — you're Canadian. How are you here?' I have never in my life seen anything so cruel."
Mooney also described poor living conditions during her detention. "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 stated.
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She criticized the food quality at the facility, but a representative for the private company that runs the detention center disputed her claims. Brian Todd, the company spokesperson, stated that the facility serves "nutritious" meals to detainees daily.
Additionally, Mooney described being transported with 30 other women overnight to Arizona. "We were up for 24 hours wrapped in chains," she added.
Though not charged with any offense, Mooney was expected to be freed today (March 14) after spending 11 days in detention.
Mooney's father commented on his daughter's detention and thinks the pressure applied to officials contributed to her release. During his interview with CBS, he stated: "Jasmine's a strong girl, but what she has gone through is ... no one should do that."
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American girl, 10, getting life saving cancer treatment is DEPORTED
A 10-year-old American citizen girl was sent back to Mexico while receiving critical brain cancer treatment. The child and four of her brothers and sisters, together with their undocumented parents, were removed from Houston in February.
The family had journeyed from their Rio Grande valley residence to Houston for an urgent visit with the girl's cancer doctors. Their lawyer stated they had crossed the immigration checkpoint at least five times before since their daughter's brain cancer diagnosis without problems, presenting letters from their medical team and legal representatives to border officials.
10-year-old U.S. citizen being treated for brain cancer ... (Source: www.themirror.com)
On February 4, officials arrested the parents after they could not provide legal immigration papers, even though the mother tried to explain their special situation. She reported that border agents "weren't interested in hearing that."
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After deportation, the family has struggled to find proper health care in Mexico for their daughter and their 15-year-old son, who suffers from Long QT syndrome, a heart condition that can be deadly and causes abnormal heartbeats.
The mother told NBC News: "The authorities have my children's lives in their hands." The specific type of brain tumor affecting the girl remains unknown, but brain cancer kills 25 percent of children in the US yearly, according to the American Cancer Society.
Doctors diagnosed the girl with brain cancer last year, and she underwent surgery to remove the tumor. Her mother recalled that doctors "practically gave me no hope of life for her, but thank God she's a miracle."
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Despite successful surgery, the child continues to experience complications including swelling, which has caused speech and movement difficulties on her right side and increased her risk for seizures.
"It's a very difficult thing. I don't wish anyone to go through this situation," the girl's mother said.
Before their arrest, the family regularly traveled to Houston for check-ups and rehabilitation services.
The mother said officials took the family to a detention facility, where her sick 10-year-old had to lie on a cold floor. Hours later, authorities dropped the family on the Mexico side of a Texas bridge. They stayed in a nearby shelter for a week before moving to a house.
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Safety concerns have kept the family awake at night and prevented them from enrolling their children in school, as they were sent to an area known for kidnapping US citizens.
Election 2024: Trump is putting mass deportations at the ... (Source: apnews.com)
Their teenage son has been unable to receive care for his Long QT syndrome, a condition affecting 1 in 2,000 Americans. Many people don't realize they have this condition because it sometimes produces no symptoms. Without treatment, Long QT syndrome can trigger dangerously extended and rapid heartbeats called torsades de pointes. This condition damages the heart and reduces blood flow to the brain, which can cause sudden cardiac death.
The family was forced to leave their 17-year-old son in Texas. President Donald Trump has stated that criminals would be the main focus in the administration's mass deportation initiatives, yet the girl's parents have clean criminal histories.
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Rochelle Garza, who leads the Texas Civil Rights Project, the advocacy organization representing the family, stated: "What is happening to this family is an absolute tragedy and it is something that is not isolated to just them."
"This is part of a pattern in practice that we've seen in the Trump administration," she added.
"We are calling on the government to parole the family in, to correct the harm that they've made and to not do this to anyone else."
Three of the girl's brothers and sisters were born in America and hold US citizenship.
Ex Miss California mocks Selena Gomez for crying, suggests immigrants live in singer’s mansion instead
Carrie Prejean Boller, previously crowned Miss California and second-place finisher in Miss USA, has severely rebuked Selena Gomez following the actress's emotional video where she expressed anguish regarding President Donald Trump's deportation strategy. Boller, who steadfastly supports the Trump administration, challenged Gomez's sincerity, proposing that if the actress truly felt concerned, she should welcome immigrants into her own luxury residence.
Gomez receives criticism after heartfelt immigration video
My people are getting attacked: Selena Gomez posts tearful ... (Source: english.mathrubhumi.com)
With tears visible in her video, Selena Gomez stated, "All my people are getting attacked, the children. I don't understand. I'm so sorry, I wish I could do something but I can't. I don't know what to do. I'll try everything, I promise." Throughout the clip, she conveyed her sense of helplessness while observing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents removing individuals she identified as "her people."
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Selena Gomez attends the opening night premiere of Netflix's 'Emilia Perez' during The French American Film Festival at DGA Theater Complex on October 29, 2024, in Los Angeles, California (Monica Schipper/Getty Images)
The video swiftly attracted negative reactions from social media users, with Carrie Boller using Instagram to express her views. "Hey Selena Gomez, How about you call all of 'your people' you're crying about being deported and invite them to stay at your mansion behind your big walls and gates until they leave?" Boller posted in her Instagram stories.
"Have them over for dinner, feed them, bathe them, let them sleep in your home, pay for their schooling and medical bills. You could have helped them and you have not and will not," she further remarked, highlighting what she viewed as Gomez's failure to take concrete action.
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Boller proceeded to claim Gomez showed biased outrage, faulting her for remaining silent about the killings of nursing student Laken Riley and Maryland mother Rachel Morin, both allegedly murdered by undocumented immigrants. "Save your fake tears," Boller commented, doubting the authenticity of Gomez's public emotional display.
Gomez video sparks widespread debate
The criticism aimed at Selena Gomez extended beyond Carrie Boller, igniting broader discussions across social platforms. British media figure Piers Morgan criticized the actress harshly, labeling the video as "absurd celebrity narcissism." Trump's Border Czar, Tom Homan, also addressed the video, supporting the deportation policy with the statement, "We're gonna make our community safer. It is all for the good of this nation. And we're gonna keep going. No apologies. We're moving forward."
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Salena Gomez expresses her distress over President Donald Trump's deportation policy (@selenagomez/Instagram)
Following the negative response, Gomez removed her video and published a reply saying, "Apparently it's not ok to show empathy for people." The 32-year-old performer, who acquired a $4.9 million home in Encino, California, in 2020, has consistently championed immigrant rights.
The actress developed the Netflix documentary 'Living Undocumented' in 2019, which depicted the daily struggles of undocumented households in the United States. She has additionally discussed her family's immigration background, noting that her aunt traversed the Mexican border during the 1970s.
Online community condemns Selena Gomez's 'insincere tears' and doubts her genuine concern
Following the viral spread of Carrie Boller's remarks criticizing Selena Gomez's emotional response to President Donald Trump's policy, numerous social media participants began targeting the performer with their own critiques.
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Immigration Minister launches investigation into US influencer who snatched baby wombat
Australia's Immigration Minister Tony Burke has strongly criticized the American tourist who removed a baby wombat from its mother, confirming officials have started an investigation into possible visa violations by the hunting influencer Samantha Strable, who uses the online name Sam Jones.
Burke stated he "couldn't wait" for Strable to leave Australia and expressed confidence she would never return to the country.
"The department is now checking the conditions of her current visa to determine if immigration law has been broken," he told news.com.au. "Regardless, given the level of review that will happen if she applies for a visa again, I'd be surprised if she even tries. I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this person, I don't think she will come back."
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Calls to kick out US influencer after foul act with wombat (Source: www.youtube.com)
It remains unclear whether Strable has left the country or when and where the video was recorded. A Change.org petition has emerged following the incident calling for her to be banned, stating: "Samstrays_somewhere should be removed from the country immediately and banned from ever returning." The petition has gained over 10,000 signatures.
This morning, Foreign Minister Penny Wong also criticized Strable after the concerning video of her holding a baby wombat went viral.
"It looked very bad, didn't it? I will leave those questions [about possible deportation] to Tony Burke and to the authorities, but, really, leave the wombat alone. I think everyone who saw that would have thought, leave the baby wombat alone. Leave it with its mum," she said.
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The video, posted under the account @samstrays_somewhere, caused outrage when shared on Reddit by worried Australians. In the footage, the self-described "wildlife biologist and environmental scientist" catches the baby wombat beside a road at night, while an Australian man records and laughs loudly.
Strable runs across the road carrying the clearly frightened baby animal while its mother chases after them. "Look at the mother, it's chasing after her," the man says.
The influencer holds up the baby wombat for a photo, writing that it was her "dream" to hold the native Australian animal. She then returns the young marsupial to its mother, noting the mother is "pissed," but adds that "the baby and mum were safely united."
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The video quickly received heavy criticism from viewers. "This is disgusting," one person commented, while another called for Strable to be "deported."
The influencer, who has 92,000 followers for her hunting content, initially defended her actions, claiming she did not harm the joey and only held it briefly. "For everyone that's worried and unhappy, the baby was carefully held for ONE minute in total and then released back to mum," she wrote.
Wildlife Service Warns Action Could Be Illegal
‘Take a baby crocodile, see how you go’: Albanese blasts US influencer who picked up wombat (Source: www.skynews.com.au)
The Wildlife Information, Rescue and Education Service (WIRES) informed news.com.au on Wednesday that the act might be against the law as all Australian animals receive protection under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Punishments for animal cruelty offenses differ by state, with fines reaching up to $235,600 for individuals and $250,000 for companies, plus possible jail time of up to seven years as a maximum penalty.
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In NSW, individuals found guilty of hurting wildlife face fines up to $330,000 under the Biodiversity Conservation Act 2016, according to a representative from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water (DCCEEW). No illegal activities have been formally attributed to Ms Jones, and no charges have been filed.
WIRES Wildlife Vet Dr Tania Bishop told news.com.au that the wombat in the video is a young joey, about eight months old, and fully reliant on its mother.
"It would stay with the mom constantly, depending on her for safety," she said. "When she runs with it, the joey lacks support underneath, and wombats are very dense, particularly in their rear section, so there's a real risk she could have broken the upper humerus, the top of the arms, or injured the shoulders."
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"You can observe the joey swinging, while also hissing and making distress sounds, which shows extreme fear. You can also notice the severe distress of the mother, pursuing her across the road."
The Immigration Minister of Australia says he is trying to deport American “influencer” Sam Jones after she took a terrified baby wombat from its mother.
“I can't wait for Australia to see the back of this individual, I don't expect she will return.”
Additionally, Yolandi Vermaak, who manages a non-profit wombat rescue group, stated on Instagram that the tourist "completely disrespected Australians and our lovely wildlife."
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"I cannot understand why anyone would think it's acceptable or amusing to cause such fear in a baby animal and its mother," she wrote. "I am extremely upset."
She also urged Ms Strable to come forward and disclose the location of the incident, noting she suspects the baby wombat has a mange mite infestation. These mites dig under the skin and lay eggs, causing severe discomfort for affected wombats. Over time, thick skin plaques resembling scabs and ridges form across the animal's body.
"We need to check on their welfare and ensure that baby isn't alone out there. But more urgently, we need to provide both mother and baby with mange treatment," she added.
