Republican party chair visits Kelly Yu at Eloy Detention Center, says she’s exactly what US wants

PHOENIX — The Republican Party Chair for Legislative District 29 visited Kelly Yu, a Peoria mother and business owner detained by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), last month at the Eloy Detention Center.

Lisa Everett told KTAR News 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce & Gaydos on Wednesday that she visited Yu on Aug.31 with her unlikely partner Brent Peak, co-chair of progressive activist group Northwest Valley Indivisible.

Everett, a supporter of President Donald Trump, decided to help the Democrat after he told her about Yu’s situation, and the two went on a “media blitz” before making plans to visit her.

Yu fled China more than 20 years ago and came to the U.S. without documentation to seek asylum from the nation’s one-child policy. She was pregnant with her daughter at the time. Yu was detained on May 28 at a monthly immigration meeting.

Yu can only have visitors on Sundays and her husband, Aldo Urquiza, gave up his visiting period so Everett and Peak could meet with her.

“Each morning she reaches out to her husband before 8:00 a.m. to let him know she has not been deported,” Everett said. “When they deport someone, it happens during the night. They are not allowed to call their family, their attorney, anything. They have to pick up a small backpack with a handful of belongings in it. They’re put on a plane (and) no one knows that they’re gone until they can’t reach them.”

Why does Everett support Kelly Yu?

Everett called Yu exactly the type of immigrant that the United States wants.

After fleeing China, Yu put down roots in the West Valley with her family and owns two Kawaii Sushi restaurants, with locations in Peoria and Glendale.

“She owns two businesses. She sponsors a high school baseball team. She allows public safety to use her restaurant for fundraising,” Everett said. “She has paid her taxes. She’s been in the system trying to fight to become a citizen for some time. She is married (to) an American, has been for only four years. She has an American daughter.

“As a mother and as a Christian, I have to say we need to keep a family together.”

Everett added that Yu tried to obtain refugee status under President George W. Bush.

“But it was after 9/11 and our country was going through a lot. And we were timid about allowing people to seek asylum,” Everett said.

While most of the politicians who have spoken out in support for Yu have been Democrats, Everett said that despite her party trying to censor her, she is sticking to her principles.

“If I believe strongly in something, I’m going to go to bat and I wish more people would stand up for Kelly because … Republicans approach me privately,” Everett said. “I can’t tell you how many emails, phone calls, text messages, Facebook posts, etc. They’re terrified.”

Does Everett think Kelly Yu has a chance of not being deported?

The Republican party chair said that the only way she can see Yu not being deported is if the president steps in.

“It is heartbreaking to know he’s going to be here Sunday and I can’t speak to him,” Everett said. “Because I would like five minutes, five minutes and I could change his mind.”

Everett explained that she would tell Trump that Yu embodies everything the U.S. wants in an immigrant and that the country could use her to show other people how it’s done.

“I know you have a heart, Mr. President,” Everett said. “We need to see people as individuals, not just a blanket slate.”

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