Anna Delvey Had to 'Request ICE for Permission' to Compete on “Dancing with the Stars ”(Exclusive)

In her conversation with PEOPLE, Delvey also commented on facing potential backlash for her controversial casting

Anna Delvey is sharing how her participation on Dancing with the Stars came to be.

After the season 33 cast of the competitive dancing show was announced on Good Morning America, the convicted con artist, 33, exclusively told PEOPLE of how she was given clearance to compete for the mirrorball trophy amid her house arrest.

Delvey, whose real name is Anna Sorkin, gained notoriety for posing as a wealthy German heiress and used her social standing to defraud wealthy people, banks and hotels. She was arrested in 2017 and convicted of grand larceny in the first, second third degree as well as theft of services in 2019.

Related: Dancing with the Stars Season 33 Cast Revealed: Tori Spelling, Phaedra Parks and More Set to Compete

Her sentence included four to 12 years in prison — which was cut short when she was released in February 2021 for good behavior. Shortly after her release, Delvey was taken into custody by ICE for violating the terms of her visa. She has been living under house arrest in New York City while fighting her deportation case.

"Well, [DWTS] approached my team and I had to request ICE for permission to travel out of state because its being filmed in Los Angeles and I'm based in New York," she told PEOPLE of how her stint came to be. "It took them about 10 days to get it through the system and to get everything approved."

"By the time I got the approval, it was very close to the starting day so I kind of flew to LA pretty much the next day and I just decided why not?" Delvey recalled.

Related: An Ankle Monitor, Party Bus and a Rogue Rooftop Fashion Show: This Is NYFW at Anna Delvey's (Exclusive)

When asked about facing potential backlash for her controversial casting, Devley said, "It's just not that serious. If someone is that upset about casting on a dancing show, I don't know what to tell them."

Alongside her partner Ezra Sosa, Delvey will compete on Dancing with the Stars under the condition she continues to wear her ankle monitor. She told The Hollywood Reporter that her device wouldn't hinder her ability to perform.

“In what way would it affect my performance? It’s actually pretty light,” she said.

Related: Anna Delvey Says Inventing Anna's Julia Garner Visited Her in Prison: 'She Is a Very Sweet Girl'

On Sept. 4, Good Morning America announced other castmembers who will join Delvey this season. The celebrity competitors include: Phaedra Parks, Eric Roberts, Tori Spelling, Dwight Howard, Brooks Nader, Joey Graziadei, Jenn Tran, Chandler Kinney, Stephen Nedoroscik, Reginald VelJohnson and more.

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Dancing with the Stars is produced in front of a live audience by BBC Studios Los Angeles Productions. Season 33 premieres Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and Disney+, with the episode available to stream the next day on Hulu.

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