Kim has visited both to provide oversight, called for the closure of all private detention facilities, and joined a letter New Jersey’s congressional Democrats sent to Trump last month opposing the use of warehouses for immigrant detention.
Call for the closure of all private detention facilities.
Occurrences
Evidence
U.S. Sen. Andy Kim grilled a fellow senator and nominee to be the next Department of Homeland Security secretary Wednesday about a warehouse the department purchased in Roxbury to house immigrant detainees. Kim, a Democrat, asked Sen. Markwayne Mullin, an Oklahoma Republican, during Mullin’s confirmation hearing before the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs whether it is fair for the department to open 'large-scale detention facilities' without local input. Roxbury officials have opposed the warehouse purchase and said they were not consulted about it.
Senator Andy Kim joined his fellow Democrats on the Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee in demanding answers over reports that former Department of Homeland Security (DHS) advisor Corey Lewandowski solicited personal payments from companies in exchange for government contracts. In a series of letters sent to DHS and contractors GEO Group and Salus Worldwide Solutions, the senators raised concerns that Lewandowski’s alleged conduct may violate federal bribery and ethics laws.
Assessments
The evidence shows that Senator Andy Kim took actions such as co-signing investigation letters and publicly questioning a DHS nominee about private detention facilities. However, these actions fall short of achieving the specific promise to close all private detention facilities, as there is no documentation of legislative passage, executive action, or closure of such facilities. He made serious attempts within his capacity, but the promised outcome was not delivered.