- Details
- By Brian Edwards
- Native Contracting
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said Wednesday that the tribe has exited all third-party interests connected to federal immigration enforcement work, ending its involvement in a Department of Homeland Security contract that prompted widespread criticism from tribal citizens.
In a video statement posted to YouTube, Rupnick said the tribe has completed its withdrawal from any direct or indirect participation in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement-related projects. The move means Prairie Band LLC, the nation’s economic development corporation, and its subsidiaries are no longer affiliated with ICE contracts or operations.
Rupnick said tribal leadership and legal counsel are reviewing next steps to ensure future economic activity aligns with the Nation’s values. General counsel is expected to brief leadership in the coming weeks, with the tribal council planning to address additional safeguards in January.
The announcement follows a week of controversy surrounding a $29.9 million indefinite delivery contract awarded Oct. 30 to KPB Services LLC, a Prairie Band LLC subsidiary. The contract covered due diligence services and concept design work for ICE processing and detention facilities, according to federal procurement records. The contract was later modified to shorten its period of performance.
The Prairie Band exit comes as Native-owned contractors face heightened federal scrutiny of government contracting programs, particularly the SBA’s 8(a) Business Development Program. In recent weeks, lawmakers have questioned tribal and Alaska Native participation in sole-source federal awards, while the SBA has ordered all 8(a) firms to submit detailed financial records by Jan. 5 as part of a program-wide audit, raising compliance risks for tribal enterprises that rely heavily on federal contracts.
Native News Online previously reported that the award sparked immediate backlash among Prairie Band citizens and led the Tribal Council to terminate senior executives of Prairie Band LLC earlier this month. In a joint statement released Dec. 10, the Nation and Prairie Band LLC said the contract “does not align with” tribal values and announced changes to internal contract review and approval processes.
In an earlier video statement addressing the controversy, Rupnick drew a direct connection between immigration detention and the historical treatment of Native peoples. “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.”
Rupnick also acknowledged the economic consequences of rejecting federal work, particularly as tribes increasingly participate in government contracting. “Our LLC works with the government too, but unlike the military, we can say no,” he said, adding that declining contracts can reduce future contracting opportunities.
The Prairie Band decision comes amid broader scrutiny of Native-owned entities involved in immigration enforcement. Alaska Native Corporations and their subsidiaries have secured hundreds of millions of dollars in ICE contracts over the past decade, supported by federal procurement preferences available to Native-owned firms.
Prairie Band LLC oversees several operating companies with significant federal contract volume in health services, construction and facilities management. Tribal leaders have said revenue from federal contracting supports government services and long-term economic development, but emphasized that future engagements must reflect the Nation’s priorities and values.
