West Valley political rivals join forces in effort to keep Peoria woman from being deported

PHOENIX – Two West Valley political rivals are putting their differences aside to help keep Peoria business owner Kelly Yu from being deported.

Brent Peak is co-chair of progressive activist group Northwest Valley Indivisible, and Lisa Everett is the Republican Committee chair for Legislative District 29.

Despite their political differences, they agree that Yu should be released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody and allowed to stay in the United States as she works toward citizenship.

“We are reaching out to anyone that will listen,” Everett told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Arizona’s Morning News on Wednesday. “We have reached out to congressmen, we have reached out to senators. I’ve even called the White House switchboard, and I’m encouraging people to do that.”

How did political rivals unite in support of Peoria business owner?

Everett and Peak met when they were on opposite sides of a protest at a congressman’s office.

“Brent and I discussed we want to keep this peaceful,” Everett said. “We want to appreciate both sides having their First Amendment rights, and we had a few breakfasts together and had some conversations and we have become friends.”

Peak was meeting with Yu’s husband when he came up with the idea to bring Everett into the fight to keep the restaurant owner from being deported. Yu has been in an ICE detention center in Eloy since she was picked up at a monthly immigration hearing on May 28.

“It occurred to me in the middle of the conversation, ‘I have a feeling Lisa could help us out here.’ And I sent her a text and her immediate response was was, ‘I’m on board,’” Peak said.

“I’ve been so grateful to find that we do share some common ground here on this particular issue, and it has been really exciting to work together on this.”

Republican says Kelly Yu was ‘living the American dream’

Yu was a pregnant teenager when she fled China more than 20 years ago to seek asylum from the nation’s one-child policy.

Since coming to the U.S., Yu and her family have settled in the West Valley. She and her husband own two Kawaii Sushi restaurants in Peoria and Glendale.

“Kelly has a daughter who is a citizen, her husband is a citizen, and she has made every attempt to do this, as people say, ‘the right way,’” Peak said. “And so, we believe that some discretion can be used here. I think that we can balance having a strong border policy as well as having a compassionate immigration policy.”

Everett is a lifelong Republican and a supporter of President Donald Trump, but she agrees with her Democratic friend that Yu isn’t the type of person who should be deported.

“She is contributing to our economy,” Everett said. “She is carrying out philanthropic deeds. She has a family. She is supporting the America that we all know and love, and she’s living the American dream right before our eyes.”

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