Peoria Business Owner Detained at Immigration Check-In After 20 Years in U.S., Faces Deportation

PHOENIX — A longtime Peoria business owner is facing deportation after being detained by federal immigration officials during a routine check-in meeting, despite living in the U.S. for over two decades and having no criminal record.

Kelly Yu, who has built a life, family, and successful business in the Valley, was taken into custody on May 28 at a monthly immigration meeting and is now being held at the ICE Eloy Detention Center. According to 12News reporter Sean Rice, Yu had previously attended several of these meetings without incident. But this time, she was handcuffed and immediately transported to the facility.

Her sudden detention came just weeks after ICE raids at Phoenix immigration courts sparked widespread protests.

Yu fled China at 18 while pregnant, seeking asylum in the U.S. due to the country’s one-child policy. Shortly after arriving, she gave birth to her daughter Zita, now 21 and a legal U.S. resident. Yu’s husband, Aldo, is a U.S. citizen.

Together, the couple owns two Kawaii Sushi restaurants in Peoria and Glendale, employing more than 30 people—many of them high school students working their first jobs. Yu has also been active in the community, donating to the Peoria Liberty High baseball team, the Peoria Police Department, and providing meals to homeless shelters during the holidays.

“She’s deeply connected to the community,” Rice said, noting Yu has spent 21 years navigating the complex asylum and citizenship process.

While detained, Yu continues to help others. Held primarily with other Chinese nationals at Eloy, she has been assisting detainees who don’t speak English, using her language skills to offer support and translation.

Her family is struggling to stay hopeful as they await what comes next. Deportation hinges on whether authorities can locate Yu’s travel documents and whether China will agree to take her back.

“She told me she has a few family members in China but feels more at home in Peoria than anywhere else,” Rice said.

There is no set timeline for her removal, leaving her future—and the future of her family and business—in limbo.

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