The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation has exited its ties to a near-$30 million ICE contract for preliminary detention-center designs after intense public backlash and the firing of economic development officials who negotiated the deal. The contract—initially about $19 million and later amended to $29.9 million—was handled by an affiliated LLC, KPB Services, which the tribe says it has divested from. Tribal leaders plan a January review and an internal audit to prevent future conflicts between economic interests and tribal values.
Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation Withdraws From Near-$30M ICE Contract After Backlash
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The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation announced it has withdrawn from a federal contract tied to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a wave of public criticism and internal personnel changes.
The announcement Wednesday evening followed the recent dismissal of economic development officials who negotiated the deal. Tribal Chairman Joseph "Zeke" Rupnick said the Nation has "successfully exited all third-party related interests affiliated with ICE."
Why the Deal Sparked Outrage
The arrangement drew sharp criticism online and in Indian Country, particularly because some Native Americans were detained in recent ICE raids and because of the tribe's own history of forced removal two centuries ago from the Great Lakes region to a reservation south of Topeka. Critics called the arrangement "disgusting" and "cruel." Rupnick had acknowledged these sensitivities in a video, describing reservations as “the government’s first attempts at detention centers.”
What the Contract Entailed
According to federal contracting records, the agreement was first awarded in October for about $19 million to perform unspecified "due diligence and concept designs" for processing and detention centers nationwide. A month later the award ceiling was amended to $29.9 million. Under federal rules, sole-source contracts above $30 million typically require additional justification—an important threshold the amended award approached.
Who Was Involved
An affiliated company, KPB Services LLC, was established in April in Holton, Kansas, by Ernest C. Woodward Jr., a former naval officer who markets himself as an adviser for tribes and tribal companies pursuing federal contracts. The Prairie Band Nation said Woodward’s firm previously assisted in the tribe’s acquisition of Mill Creek LLC, a contractor that outfits federal buildings and military facilities. Woodward is also listed with a Florida branch of Prairie Band Construction Inc., registered in September.
Attempts to contact Woodward were unsuccessful. A KPB spokesperson said Woodward is no longer with the LLC but would not confirm whether he was fired. The tribe’s spokesperson likewise confirmed the Nation has divested from KPB and that Prairie Band "no longer has a stake" in the company, though KPB Services LLC still technically holds the ICE contract.
Next Steps and Accountability
Tribal officials said they will convene in January to consider measures that ensure economic projects do not conflict with tribal values. The Nation also indicated an internal audit and review process is beginning to clarify how the contract was arranged and what the Tribal Council knew. Tribal leaders and the Department of Homeland Security have not provided detailed public explanations about the selection process for this noncompetitive award.
“That process of internal auditing is really just beginning,” a tribal spokesperson said.
The unfolding developments underscore tensions that can arise when tribal economic enterprises intersect with federal contracting and politically sensitive policy areas such as immigration enforcement.
