- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Native Contracting
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick said Friday the tribe is working to cancel a $29.9 million Department of Homeland Security contract that sparked immediate backlash from tribal citizens and led to the termination of senior economic development officials earlier this week.
In a video statement released Friday, Rupnick addressed the controversy surrounding the federal award to KPB Services LLC, a tribal subsidiary, for planning work related to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention facilities.
“I am sick to my stomach and frankly heartbroken that members of our Nation put economic development —though it is sorely needed — above our moral obligations to other persecuted people,” Rupnick said in the video statement.
The chairman said tribal leadership has engaged legal counsel to pursue contract termination, though he acknowledged the complexity of federal procurement agreements and uncertainty about potential consequences.
“Federal contracts are complex, and I still don't know all the future ramifications, but we are pushing forward as swiftly and responsibly as possible,” Rupnick said.
The contract, awarded on Oct. 30 by ICE to KPB Services is for "Due Diligence Services and Concept Design for Processing Centers and Mega centers throughout the United States," according to federal procurement documents. The indefinite delivery contract, which originally had a one-year duration, was modified on Dec. 5 to shorten the length of the contract.
The tribal council fired members of Prairie Band LLC's leadership Tuesday after Topeka TV station KSNT made news of the contract public.
In a joint statement released Tuesday, Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation and its Prairie Band LLC company said they “understand the concerns raised about a recently awarded Department of Homeland Security planning contract that involves feasibility studies and technical assessments.”
“As a sovereign nation, our values guide the decisions we make, and we acknowledge that this contract does not align with those principles,” the statement said.
The tribe said it decided to terminate senior members of the LLC's leadership team and implement new safeguards in the contract review and approval process.
"We recognize the weight this news carries for so many, as well as the feelings of anger, confusion and disappointment it caused. We hear those concerns," the statement said. "As a Nation, we take seriously our responsibility to ensure all future engagements align clearly with our values and mission."
KPB Services was registered in April by Prairie Band LLC Executive Vice President Ernest Woodward as part of a broader strategy to enter federal procurement markets.
In his Friday video statement, Rupnick drew a direct connection between the contract and historical trauma experienced by Native peoples.
“We know our Indian reservations were the government's first attempts at detention centers. We were placed here because we were treated as prisoners of war,” Rupnick said. “So we must ask ourselves why we would ever participate in something that mirrors the harm and trauma once done to our people.”
The chairman acknowledged the tension between economic development goals and tribal values. Prairie Band LLC was established to pursue government contracts and create economic opportunity for the Nation, but Rupnick emphasized the tribe retains the ability to reject contracts that conflict with core principles.
“Our LLC works with the government too, but unlike the military, we can say no,” Rupnick said. “Saying no comes with consequences, including the potential for fewer future contracts, but our values must guide us first.”
The second Trump administration has targeted immigrants, sometimes regardless of citizenship status or criminal history, detaining 65,135 people as of Nov. 16, according to ICE data analyzed by TRAC, a nonprofit data research project. Of those detained, 47,964 individuals had never been convicted of any criminal offense, representing nearly three-quarters of all those detained, according to TRAC.
The Prairie Band contract reflects a broader pattern of Native entities securing federal immigration work. Alaska Native Corporations have held hundreds of millions of dollars in ICE contracts over the past decade, including detention facility operations, guard services and border patrol support. Under federal law and Department of Homeland Security regulations, Native-owned companies receive preferential treatment in federal contracting, including for immigrant detention work.
Beyond KPB Services, the tribe's federal contracting activity spans several other Prairie Band LLC subsidiaries with significant award volume in recent years, according to data compiled from HigherGov, a market intelligence site. Prairie Band Health Services, which provides health care management and staffing, has received more than $66 million in federal awards over the past five years. Prairie Band Construction, a construction management and general contracting firm, has earned nearly $28 million in federal contracts from agencies including the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the U.S. Army and the U.S. Air Force. Mill Creek, which focuses on facility outfitting and procurement, has secured about $9 million in federal awards from the Army, U.S. Department of Agriculture and Indian Health Service over the same period.
Rupnick called for unity as the tribe addresses the controversy and reviews its contract approval processes.
“Scorn and ridicule online helps no one. Speculation is the enemy of the truth," Rupnick said. "What I can promise you as chairman is that the tribal council and myself will keep you informed every step of the way.”
Levi Rickert contributed reporting.
