The husband of a Canadian woman arrested for allegedly slapping a teenager wearing pro-Trump attire on a Jersey Shore boardwalk has called the incident a "nothingburger" and blamed online conservatives for escalating the situation, leading to his wife's detention by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Kaitlyn Tracey, 33, was taken into ICE custody on July 3 after the confrontation and is being held at the Delaney Hall immigration detention center in Newark. ICE stated she overstayed her visa after entering the U.S. in 2024.
Matthew Geroni, Tracey's husband, who has a history of anti-Trump social media posts, claims his wife was the victim and that the incident has been blown out of proportion. He admitted he was not present during the alleged assault.
"This whole situation has been blown out of proportion and a person like Kate does not belong in any facility," Geroni told NJ.com. "My wife has never been in trouble in her entire life. This one little situation that was really a nothingburger when it happened has been blown so out of control by conservatives online that it has caused my wife to be put in a detention center."
According to Point Pleasant Beach police, Tracey filmed herself approaching the 16-year-old victim, who was wearing "patriotic colored" sweatpants, and subsequently slapped her. Tracey then fled the scene, the police affidavit states.
However, Geroni disputes the police account, claiming his wife was shoved and hit first. He also insists she did not record the incident and did not flee from the police. Geroni stated he has seen video footage that he believes shows the event out of context, portraying his wife as the aggressor when, he claims, she was not.
Tracey surrendered to authorities on July 9 after learning charges had been filed against her. She was initially held at Ocean County Jail before ICE transferred her to Delaney Hall following an immigration detainer request.