A Canadian woman filmed slapping a teenage girl over MAGA-themed clothing during Fourth of July festivities has been ordered removed from the United States.
Kaitlyn Tracey, 33, was caught on video striking the teen on a Jersey Shore boardwalk on July 3. She later surrendered to authorities after investigators reviewed surveillance footage and secured a warrant for her arrest.
After her arrest, Tracey was transferred to Delaney Hall, a New Jersey Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility with a troubled reputation. Her husband, Matthew Geroni, 42, told the Daily Mail she had been held there in what he described as “horrible” conditions.
Tracey, whom the Department of Homeland Security branded the “Maple Leaf Menace” in a post on X, was ordered deported to Canada by a Texas judge on Tuesday.
She appeared for the hearing by phone from ICE’s processing center in Laredo, Texas, where officials had recently moved her.
During Tuesday’s proceedings, Tracey pleaded guilty to one misdemeanor count of simple assault as part of an agreement that led prosecutors to drop most of the more serious charges she initially faced.
Court records show the original charges included endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault, harassment and obstruction.
The case stemmed from a confrontation with a group of teenagers wearing “patriotic colored” clothing reportedly featuring “Trump” and “ICE” markings. Authorities said Tracey slapped one of the teens during the encounter.
Canadian Kaitlyn Tracey, 33, has been ordered to be deported after she slapped a teenage girl in New Jersey during Fourth of July Celebrations. She is pictured with her husband
Tracy pleaded guilty to misdemeanor simple assault during a hearing in Texas on Tuesday. She was transferred to ICE custody after turning herself in to police for the assault
The ‘Maple Leaf Menace’ struck the teenager once on the shoulder during the confrontation, before squaring up and delivering another blow across the girl’s face.
Tracey entered the US on a passport years ago, her attorney said. She had overstayed her visa and was in the country illegally at the time of the attack and her arrest.
But her lawyer, Francis Hodgson, attempted to paint her in a positive light during Tuesday’s hearing.
‘She met her husband and didn’t leave, but while she was [here], she maintained employment and was a productive member of society,’ Hodgson told the judge.
The lawyer simply described the attack as ‘unfortunate,’ and said his client has ‘taken responsibility for her role in it, and this is a reasonable judgment, Judge, that is consistent with other similar-type matters that happen every day during the summer on this boardwalk.’
In addition to the deportation, Tracey was sentenced to one day in jail, but she was granted time served for the days she spent behind bars in Ocean County after her arrest.
Prosecutors said that the family of the victim, who was identified only by the initials MH due to her age, was okay with the plea deal.
Judge Guy P Ryan read an impact statement from the family and said: ‘The parents recite that, “Thank goodness for cameras and cell phones to have documented this incident.”‘
Tracy’s assault on the teenager was captured on camera. She initially received more serious charges that were dropped as part of her plea deal
The footage showed Tracey striking the teenager once on the shoulder during the confrontation before squaring up and delivering another blow across the girl’s face
Tracey’s husband, Matthew Geroni, 42, said the conditions at the Delaney Hall ICE detention facility where she was initially held were terrible
‘The notoriety and publicity of this matter has indicated that they’re proud of their country, love their country, they have core values and refer to the history of their family,’ the judge added.
The victim and her family ‘look forward to justice being served, and they thank all the agencies involved,’ Ryan concluded.
It is unclear exactly when Tracey will be deported back to Canada and how long she will be prohibited from returning to the US, though the judge said he expects it to be ‘a very long time.’
Tracey’s husband, Geroni, provided a different account of the attack on the teen to the Daily Mail last month.
He claimed the group of teenagers ‘provoked’ Tracey and were causing mayhem on the Jersey Shore boardwalk, alleging that they ‘pushed and shoved’ her during the confrontation.
Geroni said the teenagers had been ‘provoking’ many people along the boardwalk, but singled out his wife because she was wearing ‘punk’ clothing that clashed with their MAGA attire. ‘They were wearing ICE merch,’ he said.
The husband said police at the scene let Tracey leave and described it as a ‘nothing-burger,’ but said investigators then reviewed a short surveillance clip of the confrontation that led to a warrant being issued for her arrest, which Geroni said was ‘out of context.’
Geroni said that Tracey was almost freed from the Ocean County jail before being hit with an immigration detainer at the last minute.
Geroni said the teenagers were ‘provoking’ people while wearing ‘ICE merchandise’, which he said clashed with his wife’s ‘punk’ clothes
Tracey’s husband Matthew Geroni previously shared a video on TikTok wishing cancer on President Trump’s entire family – including his youngest grandchildren
Geroni often shares social media posts attacking Republicans, including a post wishing for Mitch McConnell to die following the senator’s hospitalization
Tracey’s husband, who often shares social media posts attacking Republicans, including wishing for Mitch McConnell to die and for the Trump family to get cancer, said he believes Donald Trump is partially to blame for the hostility.
‘Trump is emboldening these people. They’re proud of their hate, not love,’ he said.
When asked how he squares this stance with his social media posts about McConnell, Geroni said it was ‘not the same’, and answered: ‘What are we even talking about here bro?’
Geroni said he and his wife love their lives in Ocean Beach, but he would move to Canada if needed. ‘I would do anything to be with my wife,’ he said.
