'MAPLE LEAF MENACE': DHS seeks removal of Canadian in ICE custody after slapping teen wearing Trump-themed clothing

CALGARY — The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) says a Canadian woman accused of striking a teenage girl during a confrontation over patriotic and pro-Trump clothing will face removal proceedings.Kaitlyn E. Tracey, 33, was taken into ICE custody after local authorities accused her of assaulting a teenager on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk in New Jersey during the Fourth of July weekend. The incident drew national attention after surveillance footage of the alleged encounter circulated online.The Point Pleasant Beach Police Department later charged Tracey with simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child, harassment and obstruction. Police said the incident was captured on surveillance video and that investigators identified Tracey following an investigation.DHS officials said Tracey entered the United States in April 2024 and remained in the country after her visa expired in September 2024. The agency confirmed she was transferred into ICE custody and is currently awaiting immigration proceedings.In a sharply worded statement Friday, DHS referred to Tracey as a “maple leaf menace” and argued that individuals who enter the United States illegally or violate immigration rules should not be allowed to remain in the country after being accused of criminal conduct..“This illegal alien who assaulted a teenager has no business being in our country,” DHS said in a social media post accompanying footage of the alleged incident.According to the New York Post, a GoFundMe was created for Tracey but had since been taken down.Screenshots of the fundraiser before it was removed appeared to show that it had raised nearly $4,500 of its $9,000 USD goal.“Consistent with this long-standing policy, any fundraisers for the legal defense of someone charged with a violent crime are removed from the platform and fully refunded,” a GoFundMe spokesperson told the New York Post after it was removed.Tracey’s husband, Matthew Geroni, has publicly defended his wife and said the incident has been taken out of context.In videos posted online, Geroni said he was seeking legal assistance after his wife was detained by ICE..Geroni, a US citizen who routinely posts videos mocking Republicans, said he married Tracey “a little over three years ago,” and added his main concern was for his wife's safety and well-being, regardless of whether she was ultimately deported to Canada.“I’m just doing anything I can to get her story heard and bring any help and attention to her situation, so I can get her released, even if that means back to Canada,” he said in a video. His TikTok account has since been made private.He also did not address Tracey’s alleged assault of the teenage girl during the video but claimed the whole situation was being taken out of context, adding police told his wife to leave the boardwalk after the alleged assault because they didn’t have enough to charge her.Tracey later turned herself over to police after an arrest warrant was issued and is currently being held at the Delaney Hall immigration detention facility in Newark, NJ.She is scheduled to appear in court on August 4.

'MAPLE LEAF MENACE': DHS seeks removal of Canadian in ICE custody after slapping teen wearing Trump-themed clothing

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