Tribe seeks to exit $30M ICE design contract
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation says it is consulting counsel to terminate a nearly $30 million DHS/ICE contract awarded in October 2025 to its affiliate KPB Services LLC to design immigration detention centers, amid backlash from Native communities. Tribal Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick announced the tribe has fired the economic development leaders who brokered the deal and pledged transparency, while questions remain about why the contract was awarded without competition.
📌 Key Facts
- KPB Services LLC, formed in April 2025, received a nearly $30 million ICE contract in October to produce early designs for detention centers.
- Tribal Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick said the tribe is working with legal counsel to end the contract and has fired the leaders who negotiated it.
- DHS/ICE and tribal leaders have not explained why the award bypassed normal competitive procurement.
📊 Relevant Data
American Indian and Alaska Native households experience poverty at a rate of 20.9%, compared to 10% for the typical American household.
New data explore U.S. economic conditions by race and ethnicity, including for American Indian and Alaska Native communities — Economic Policy Institute
Approximately 68% of the 13.7 million unauthorized immigrants in the US in 2023 are from Mexico and Central America, regions with predominantly Hispanic populations, while Hispanics comprise about 19% of the total US population.
Profile of the Unauthorized Population - US — Migration Policy Institute
The Trump administration's proposed freeze on federal grants in 2025 would cut $24.5 billion in funding to Native communities for health, law enforcement, education, and other services.
Native communities could lose $24.5B under Trump administration proposal — Alaska Beacon
In 2025, reports indicate that over 15 members of the Navajo Nation were detained and questioned during ICE immigration raids due to mistaken identity.
Over 15 Navajo Nation Members Swept Up in Trump Immigration Raids — Truthout