MAGA Rep. Kim, who voted for over $100B of increased ICE Funding, Blamed for Massive Raids on Legal Korean Residents

Tustin, CA – Today, the Esther Kim Varet campaign interviewed Korean community members about yesterday’s Immigrations and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raid that detained 475 people at a Georgia Hyundai plant.

ICE was able to detain hundreds in one raid because of Young Kim’s recent vote to increase immigration enforcement funding by over $100B, allowing them to regularly detain both citizens and legal residents.

One interviewed resident said, “I know there is fear everywhere, even in churches, [which] are supposedly safe havens for immigrants, but then a lot of churchgoers are not showing up because of the fear.”

WATCH THE VIDEO HERE

In just a few hours, the video has over 50K impressions on multiple social media platforms. The video is in both English and Korean with English subtitles. 

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California’s 40th is a Congressional District representing portions of Orange County, Riverside County, and San Bernardino County in Southern California. CA-40’s constituents voted for Joe Biden over Donald Trump in 2020. House Majority PAC lists CA-40 as a top target, the DCCC lists CA-40 as a “District in Play”, and the Cook Political Report Partisan Voter Index (PVI) ranks the district as one of the 10 most vulnerable House seats with a Republican incumbent in the nation. Esther Kim Varet raised over $1 million in Q1 2025, outpacing the combined Democratic field by over 2.5x.

Incumbent Republican Young Kim’s support for MAGA policies, including a federal ban on abortion even in cases of rape and incest, support of the GOP budget bill that would strip 40,000+ of her constituents from Medicaid, blocking legislation to lower the cost of prescription drugs, and rejection of common sense gun safety, have made Kim extremely vulnerable. In contrast, Esther Kim Varet will always vote to protect women’s right to choose, provide access to healthcare, lower prescription drug costs, and support responsible gun safety.

CA-40 includes the cities of Yorba Linda, Anaheim Hills, Orange, Chino Hills, Tustin, Mission Viejo, Aliso Viejo, Rancho Santa Margarita, Laguna Hills, Laguna Woods, Villa Park, Lake Forest, the unincorporated communities of North Tustin, Coto de Caza, Silverado, Modjeska, and Trabuco, and parts of the cities of Brea and Corona.