Canadian Citizen Kaitlyn Tracey Detained by ICE After Slapping NJ Teen Over MAGA Clothing

Kaitlyn Tracey, a 33‑year‑old Canadian citizen residing in Asbury Park, New Jersey, was arrested after an incident on the Point Pleasant Beach boardwalk on July 3, 2024. Surveillance video shows her confronting a group of teenage girls and slapping one of them in the face and body because she was wearing "patriotic‑colored" sweatpants bearing the words “Trump” and “ICE.” The victim was not seriously injured.

Tracey was charged with endangering the welfare of a child, simple assault, harassment and obstruction of justice. She was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement on July 13 and placed in the privately run Delaney Hall detention center in Newark. A court date is set for August 4, and she faces possible deportation to Canada.

Her husband, U.S. citizen Matthew Geroni, posted emotional videos on TikTok pleading for her release and briefly created a GoFundMe campaign for legal fees, which was later removed. The case has drawn widespread online commentary and highlights heightened political tensions surrounding immigration enforcement and MAGA‑related symbols.