The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation is under fire after a tribal affiliate, KPB Services LLC, signed a federal contract—initially about $19 million and later raised to a $29.9 million ceiling—to develop concept designs and due diligence for immigrant processing and detention centers. Tribal members say they were blindsided and outraged; tribal leaders say they fired the economic-development officials who negotiated the deal and are seeking legal ways to exit the contract. The award has renewed scrutiny of sole-source federal contracts and prompted broader debate about tribes' economic decisions in light of historical trauma.
Tribal Uproar: Prairie Band Affiliate Signed Nearly $30M ICE Contract To Design Detention Centers
A sign on a road off of U.S. Highway 75 welcomes motorists to the Prairie Band Potawatomi reservation, outside Mayetta, Kan., Thursday, Dec. 11, 2025. (AP Photo/John Hanna)
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation — a 4,500-member tribe whose ancestors were forcibly removed from the Great Lakes region in the 1830s — is facing intense backlash after a newly formed tribal affiliate, KPB Services LLC, quietly signed a federal contract to produce early designs and due diligence for immigrant processing and detention centers.
What Happened
Federal procurement records show the contract was awarded in October and was initially listed at about $19 million for "due diligence and concept designs" related to processing and detention facilities. In November the contract ceiling was increased to $29.9 million. Tribal officials say they are exploring options to terminate the agreement amid a wave of criticism from tribal members and Indigenous advocates.
Who Is Involved
KPB Services LLC was registered in April in Holton, Kansas, and is affiliated with the Prairie Band Potawatomi’s economic arm but is not listed on the tribe’s public website. Records indicate it was registered by Ernest C. Woodward Jr., a retired U.S. Navy officer who has marketed himself as an adviser to tribes and tribal businesses seeking federal contracts. Attempts to reach Woodward were unsuccessful.
Tribal Response And Community Reaction
Tribal leaders say they have dismissed the economic development officials who negotiated the deal and are consulting legal counsel about ways to end the contract. Tribal Chairman Joseph “Zeke” Rupnick acknowledged the controversy in a video message, invoking the tribe’s history of forced removal and confinement: "We know our Indian reservations were the government's first attempts at detention centers," he said, questioning why the tribe would participate in a project that echoes past harms.
"We are known across the nation now as traitors and treasonous to another race of people," said Ray Rice, 74, a tribal member who says many in the community were blindsided.
Legal And Procurement Questions
Observers and legal experts have raised questions about how the contract was awarded. Federal rules generally favor competitive bidding; sole-source contracts above certain thresholds require detailed justification. Attorney Joshua Schnell, who specializes in federal contracting, said the award underscores the need for transparency: "The public’s trust in the federal procurement system depends on transparency and competition," he said.
Wider Context
The contract comes amid heightened national controversy over immigration enforcement. A recent U.S. Supreme Court decision broadened federal agents’ authority to conduct immigration raids and consider apparent ethnicity in stops, and some Native Americans have reportedly been swept up in recent operations. Other tribal-linked firms have existing federal contracts with agencies such as ICE, and those arrangements have similarly drawn scrutiny from tribal members and shareholders.
Why Tribes Consider These Deals
Tribal economic enterprises face growing pressure to generate revenue because of reduced federal funding, inflation, and other economic challenges. Advocates caution that business opportunities do not always align with community values, particularly where historic trauma and human-rights concerns are involved.
Current Status
The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation says it is pursuing legal options to end the contract and has removed the officials who negotiated it. Tribal members, Indigenous advocates and legal observers are watching closely as the tribe seeks to reconcile economic pressures with cultural values and community trust.
