Summary

Canadian citizen Jasmine Mooney was detained by ICE for two weeks despite having a valid U.S. work visa. Stopped at the San Diego border, she was abruptly arrested, denied legal counsel, and held in freezing cells before being transferred to a private detention center.

She witnessed systemic inefficiencies, inhumane conditions, and detainees trapped in bureaucratic limbo.

After media attention and legal intervention, Mooney was released.

Her experience highlights the profit-driven nature of private detention centers and the broader failures of U.S. immigration enforcement under Trump’s administration.

  • AugustWest@lemm.ee
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    16 hours ago

    This is the very significant part:

    The reality became clear: Ice detention isn’t just a bureaucratic nightmare. It’s a business. These facilities are privately owned and run for profit.

    Companies like CoreCivic and GEO Group receive government funding based on the number of people they detain, which is why they lobby for stricter immigration policies. It’s a lucrative business: CoreCivic made over $560m from Ice contracts in a single year. In 2024, GEO Group made more than $763m from Ice contracts.

    • RedFrank24@lemmy.world
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      15 hours ago

      At this point Canada should be playing hard ball. Ban all visas from anyone working for those companies, or anyone who delivers services to those companies for as long as they work for those companies. If they lie about who they work for, the ban is permanent and they personally are not allowed to set foot in Canada ever.

      • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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        14 hours ago

        Why would those employees ever go to Canada to work or study (to need visas). There’s nothing to swing at.

        • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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          11 hours ago

          People already bitch about not being able to go to Canada because they got a DUI. This is will absolutely cause someone’s vacation plans to be fucked up. But more importantly this should be a policy of the EU and Mexico too.

          • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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            11 hours ago

            Afaik place of employment doesn’t come up when they scan the passport. Criminal records? Yes.

            • Maggoty@lemmy.world
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              10 hours ago

              They can absolutely get their hands on names and add them to the list of people not allowed to cross the border.

        • RedFrank24@lemmy.world
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          11 hours ago

          There’s more employees than just the border guards themselves. There’s the HR, the IT, Accountants, Legal etc etc. Block all of them. If those services are contracted out, ban their workers as well. Might be a bit troublesome with companies like Amazon or Microsoft, but since you’re banning individual workers rather than whole companies it might work out a little easier.

          Make it so the deal is “If you associate with this company and you aren’t a Canadian citizen, you are personally not allowed to enter Canada”

          • BarqsHasBite@lemmy.world
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            11 hours ago

            Who ever said it’s limited to guards? The whole point is why would they being going to Canada for work or study, which is what requires a visa. You don’t just meander over the border for a day of work.

    • LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world
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      14 hours ago

      If a doctor has his license suspended and is not able to practice medicine in a normal hospital/doctors office, they are allowed to keep practicing medicine in prison systems. Poof, cut the costs of real medical doctors by employing those no one else can/will.