A Canadian woman accused of slapping a teenage girl wearing pro-Trump clothing at the Jersey Shore fell well short of her online fundraising goal as she fought her immigration case.
The legal defense fundraiser for Kaitlyn Tracey brought in $4,857 toward a $10,000 target before she was ordered Tuesday to be deported to Canada.
A previous GoFundMe campaign for Tracey, 33, was created last month by her husband, Matthew Geroni, an outspoken critic of Donald Trump. The platform later removed it, citing its policy barring fundraisers for people accused of violent crimes.
Tracey, whom the Department of Homeland Security referred to as the “Maple Leaf Menace,” pleaded guilty Tuesday by phone from a Texas ICE detention facility during proceedings in Toms River. She admitted to one count of simple assault, a misdemeanor, as part of a plea agreement.
As part of the outcome, Tracey was ordered removed to Canada and sentenced to one day in jail, with credit for time already served after she was held in Ocean County last month.
Authorities said Tracey was arrested after confronting a group of four teenagers on July 3 on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk, including a girl wearing a USA 250 tank top.
Police said the confrontation escalated into an argument before Tracey slapped the teen across the face in an incident captured on video.
According to DHS, Tracey had overstayed her visa and was in the United States unlawfully at the time of her arrest.
