The boardwalk assault case that spread across social media has ended with a guilty plea and a deportation order for Kaitlyn Tracey, a Canadian woman now set to leave the United States. Tracey pleaded guilty Tuesday to a misdemeanor simple assault charge after a Jersey Shore altercation that was captured on video.
Speaking by phone from an ICE detention facility in Toms River, New Jersey, Tracey entered the plea as part of a deal that leaves her with one day of jail time. That sentence was already served through time she spent in the Ocean County jail. The larger consequence is immigration removal: an immigration judge had already ordered her sent back to Canada before the criminal case was resolved.
The incident began on a boardwalk at the Jersey Shore, where Tracey confronted a group of teenagers. Video shows one teen wearing an America 250 tank top and sweatpants marked with the word βICE.β After words were exchanged, Tracey struck the girl in the face with an open hand, according to the video used in the case.
Immigration authorities also say Tracey had no lawful status when the encounter happened. Records show her visa expired in September 2024, leaving her in the country illegally for nearly two years. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said she βoverstayed her visa and failed to depart,β and confirmed that an immigration judge ordered her removed to her home country of Canada on Aug. 4.
The DHS spokesperson also said ICE will return her home as soon as possible. The removal order came separately from the criminal case, showing how immigration enforcement and local prosecution moved on parallel tracks.
