The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation in Kansas is working to cancel a nearly $30 million federal contract with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following intense backlash from fellow Native Americans.
KPB Services LLC, a newly established tribal entity, signed the deal in October to come up with an early design for immigrant detention centers.
Newsweek has contacted the tribe, the Department of Homeland Security and ICE for comment via email.
Why It Matters
The contract comes at a time when Native American tribes are under pressure to generate revenue. But critics say a tribe whose ancestors were uprooted by the U.S. from the Great Lakes region should not profit from President Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign, particularly as some Native Americans are being swept up and detained in recent raids.
What to Know
The ICE contract initially was awarded to KPB Services LLC in October for $19 million for unspecified “due diligence and concept designs” for processing centers and detention centers throughout the U.S, The Associated Press reported, citing a description of the work on the federal government’s real time contracting database.
It was later modified to increase the payout ceiling to $29.9 million. Sole-source contracts above $30 million require additional justification under federal contracting rules.
KPB Services LLC was registered in April by Prairie Band LLC’s executive vice president Ernest Woodward, Tribal Business News reported. Woodward is a member of the Miami Tribe of Oklahoma and describes himself as the “go-to” adviser for tribes, according to the website for his consulting firm, Burton Woodward Partners LLC.
After news of the deal became public and sparked a backlash, the tribe on Tuesday said it had fired senior members of the Prairie Band LLC’s leadership.
In a video message to tribal members, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick on Friday said the news had caused “concern, frustration and confusion” and promised “full transparency.”
Rupnick said the tribe is “looking at all options concerning exiting this contract.”
He also made the connection between the contact and the historical trauma of Native Americans.
“We know our Indian reservations were the government’s first attempts at detention centers,” he said.
“We were placed here because we were treated as prisoners of war. So we must ask ourselves why we would ever participate in something that mirrors the harm and trauma once done to our people?”
What People Are Saying
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick also said: “Those who are veterans like myself understand that working with the government sometimes puts you in positions that go against your values. In the military, you have no choice. You complete the job and then you live with it. Our LLC works with the government too, but unlike the military, we can say no. Saying no comes with consequences, including the potential for fewer future contracts, but our values must guide us first.”
He added: “As we move forward, I ask that we do so with integrity and the intent to heal. Scorn and ridicule online helps no one. Speculation is the enemy of the truth. What I can promise you as chairman is that Tribal Council and myself will keep you informed every step of the way.”
In a joint statement released last week, the Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and its Prairie Band LLC said they “understand the concerns raised about a recently awarded Department of Homeland Security planning contract that involves feasibility studies and technical assessments.”
It said: “As a sovereign nation, our values guide the decisions we make, and we acknowledge that this contract does not align with those principles.”
Ray Rice, a 74-year-old tribal member told the AP he and other members were blindsided by the deal. He said: “We are known across the nation now as traitors and treasonous to another race of people.”
What Happens Next?
Rupnick said the tribe “met with legal counsel” to work on canceling the contract and that the process remains underway.
