I would not do it. That is a stiffener for the wall, It makes the wall stronger.
You are driving around in a beer can, The sheet metal is so thin that there is no real strength.

 

Definitely not. The transit is a Unibody construction, so a lot of the sheet metal is needed for structural integrity. that piece has multiple pieces of sheet metal with a lot of spot welds, it has a D ring attach point on it. so it's reasonably strong.

 

You can cut anything off you want, just be prepared for consequences.

Alternate solutions:
Raise your fridge higher
Move your fridge further from the wall

 

If you have a front loader fridge it's better to mount it up higher so you
don't have to bend over to get into it , unless you seldom go into the fridge .

 

Thanks for the input everyone. It's not what I was hoping to hear but it's what I figured was the case. Guess I'll have to rearrange some things.

 

Depending on your fridge (I'm assuming front opening) you'll want some space below, behind, and above for airflow to the coils, consider raising it up higher,it will be more convenient as Mobile said.

 

Do not cut that piece out. Doing so would eventually cause structural failure somewhere. Locate your refrigerator with the following considerations:

1. Locate it high enough that you don't need to stoop over to look inside.

2. Allow enough empty space for adequate, generous ventilation to any area that gets warm.

3. Large enough cabinet to allow you to add 1+ inch of rigid insulation to the outside of the icebox. This will have a direct effect on your electrical consumption, cutting it by approximately one third.

4. Install in such a manor that you can easily remove it for replacement or maintenance.