PHOENIX — Arizona Rep. Greg Stanton called for comprehensive immigration reform after he tried to visit Kelly Yu, a Peoria business owner facing deportation, at the Eloy Detention Center and was denied.
Stanton told KTAR 92.3 FM’s Outspoken with Bruce and Gaydos on Friday that while his visit to the Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility to see Yu didn’t go as planned, it went how he expected it would.
“Kelly’s husband asked me to go visit her and check in and see how she was doing and it’s my obligation as a member of the United States Congress to be able to tour federal facilities and make sure they’re being run okay. And so, that includes detention centers,” Stanton said.
However, Stanton was not allowed entrance to the facility due to it having a separate policy that states the need for advanced notice. Stanton noted that the facility’s policy does not overcome federal law.
“The real reason is that ICE wants to make sure before any member of Congress goes to the facility that everything’s up and running and in good working order, looks good, etc.,” Stanton said regarding why he was denied. “But that’s not the point of oversight. We should be able to do it at a moment’s notice.”
The congressman said that he will likely be following up the denial with legal action.
Congressman cites Kelly Yu’s possible deportation as reason comprehensive immigration reform is needed
Stanton called Yu, who illegally entered the U.S. to escape China’s one-child policy 21 years ago, inspiring.
“(She’s) built an amazingly successful business career. They have over two dozen people working for those sushi restaurants. They’re incredibly popular sushi restaurants,” Stanton said. “And you know what she does? She donates a ton of money to local baseball teams or football teams or other community organizations. They donate money to the Peoria Police Department and (Peoria) Fire Department to serve those families. I mean, they’re just amazing, great community members.”
Stanton added that a person like Yu being subject to deportation is not good for the U.S. and is the reason why real immigration reform is needed.
“We should have comprehensive immigration reform, allow these people a legitimate path to citizenship, not deport them,” Stanton said. “That makes no sense from an American perspective.”
The congressman noted the closest the U.S. has ever been to having comprehensive immigration reform was back in 2013-14 when Senator John McCain got over two-thirds of the Senate to agree on a bill that was then stalled in the House and never reached a vote.
After hearing about Yu’s case, Senator Ruben Gallego suggested that undocumented immigrants with no criminal record should be allowed to pay a fine, pass a background check and gain some legal standing.
When asked if he would support that, Stanton said that Gallego was “onto something there.”
The congressman did emphasize caution with that route and said that creating a permanent situation where an undocumented individual is paying taxes and sending their kids to school but can’t vote is an unhealthy situation for a society.
“No one’s suggesting that even someone as active in the community as Kelly should go to the front of the line and not have to pay a price for it,” Stanton said. “They should go to the back of the line, but at least be in the line so that they can still have their lives and their livelihoods here in the United States of America.”
As far as for Yu, Stanton said there is a modicum of hope that the right decision will be made and she will be allowed to stay in the U.S.
“She’s going through the legal process. She has really good legal counsel,” Stanton said. “But at the end of the day, a decision like this is a subjective decision. In times past, administrations have made a decision that they’re going to go after people who have committed violent crimes for deportations and choose not to go after people like Kelly. And so there is still a subjective choice here.”
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