Senator Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) on Tuesday met with the family of Kelly Yu, a Valley business owner who has been detained since May after living in the United States for the past 21 years.
“If we're a country that values families, why are we separating families, right? If we're a country that values entrepreneurs, that values people that, you know, want to be part of a real America, you know, institution, why are we kicking them out of this country?” Gallego said.
The Senator met with the family at their restaurant, Kawaii Sushi, in Peoria to highlight what he described as a “broken” immigration system.
“You know, you're breaking families and you know, you're making me—I don't hate my country, [it] makes me want to leave it, cause you're going to live in fear,” Aldo Urquirza, the husband of Yu said.
Urquirza said his wife fled China 21 years ago because of the country’s one-child policy at the time. She crossed the border illegally and applied for asylum. She does not have legal status.
“You know, she's been here for 21 years. She never left the country. She followed every law, everything, what she had to do. She hasn't seen family in 21 years because of that,” Urquirza said. “So then, first time she got picked up, it was right outside her house. I was here at the restaurant. Get a phone call. Hey, babe, immigration got me.”
When it comes to his immigration crackdown, President Donald Trump said he wants to go after the “worst of the worst,” however, ABC15 has reported on several cases where people with no criminal history have been detained and deported.
Gallego said while he supports going after criminals, those who came across illegally but have no criminal history and are contributing to society deserve a second chance.
“Make them, you know, do restitution, whatever it is, go through the background check, Gallego said. “Don't give them any special treatment from any other immigrant that came here before and has been doing things in the due process way but at least give them something to stay here. Because we all lose as a country when we lose the Kelly Yu's of the world.”
Urquirza said he expects his wife to be deported back to China in the coming weeks.
“We want her close to us, but for me, I'd rather have her free. I don't care where she goes. Nobody like her deserves to be detained, nobody. You can't buy freedom, and she doesn't have that right now,” Urquirza said.
