WASHINGTON—Senator Andy Kim confronted Department of Homeland Security nominee Markwayne Mullin during a March 18 confirmation hearing regarding ICE's purchase of a warehouse in Roxbury Township. Kim pressed Mullin on the $129.3 million acquisition at 1879 Route 46 for a 470,000-square-foot facility. The exchange occurred before the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs as the Oklahoma Republican seeks confirmation to lead DHS.

Mullin acknowledged the detention facility would have a big impact on the Morris County community and stated he would visit Roxbury if confirmed. He further committed to releasing agency evaluations if the documents are available. Mullin also declared his intention to revoke former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem's policy requiring review of spending over $100,000, calling it micromanaging.

In addition to Kim’s scrutiny, the nominee faced questioning from Senator Rand Paul (R-KY) regarding anger issues and classified travel logs. Representative Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) attended the hearing but declined to specify his position.

The Senator addressed infrastructure concerns, citing the removal of the warehouse from local tax rolls. Kim also highlighted population impact, stating the 1,500-bed facility would house detainees and staff equaling roughly ten percent of Roxbury's 22,000 residents. The senator noted the town maintains only 42 police officers and a volunteer fire department. He emphasized that ICE officials never consulted local Mayor Shawn Potillo before the purchase.

Kim announced he will vote against advancing Mullin's nomination to the full Senate on March 20. The senator stated he would work aggressively to hold Mullin to commitments made during the hearing. Kim had previously voted to confirm Kristi Noem as DHS Secretary but later called for her resignation.

State Senator Anthony Bucco, who also serves as Roxbury Township attorney, criticized Mullin's responses as a weak cop-out to evade real answers. Bucco said he is waiting to see if Kim receives the documents and noted the commitment to release papers is a good step.

The township council had previously approved a resolution opposing the facility. The February 26 purchase involved Dalfen Industrial and Goldman Sachs Asset Management, which sold the warehouse for more than double the $62.2 million assessed value.

The sale price represented a rate of about $275 per square foot for the property located about an hour west of New York City. Goldman stated the property sat vacant for two years and they had a fiduciary obligation to investors.

The hearing occurred as the Trump administration expands immigration detention capacity across the country. The facility would become New Jersey's third ICE detention center, joining Elizabeth and Newark's Delaney Hall. Kim introduced the End Warehouse Detention Act and End Family Detention Act in February to block such conversions. Representative Bonnie Watson Coleman and Senator Cory Booker joined Kim in introducing the legislation.

Sources

- New Jersey Monitor, "Senator Andy Kim presses DHS nominee on ICE facility, calls his answers 'insulting'" (March 19, 2026)

- NBC News, "Senate hearing live updates: Hegseth advances, Kennedy and Gabbard questioned" (March 18, 2026)

- Insider NJ, "NJ Politics Digest: Mullin questioned on ICE facility in Roxbury" (March 19, 2026)

- NorthJersey.com, "Kim, Booker look to block ICE facility in Morris County as Mullin grilled" (March 19, 2026)

- NJ.com, "ICE pays $129M for massive Morris County warehouse, NJ's newest detention center" (February 26, 2026)

- ABC7NY, "Proposed new ICE facility in New Jersey met with staunch opposition" (March 17, 2026)

Updated 03/19/2026, 7:30 PM: added profile links and reworded slightly for clarity