The Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation recently announced its decision to withdraw from a nearly $30 million contract with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) regarding the preliminary designs for immigration detention centers. The decision follows a significant wave of online backlash from members of the Native American community who criticized the tribe's involvement in the deal, which seemed contradictory to their own historical experiences of displacement.
Tribal Chairman Joseph 'Zeke' Rupnick expressed happiness in the tribe's exit from the engagement with ICE, noting that the decision aligns with the tribe’s values. The contract was put under scrutiny, particularly after the termination of the economic development leaders who secured the deal.
Rupnick articulated the community's historical context, acknowledging that reservations could be seen as historical detention centers and reassured the audience in a video message that the tribe’s leadership would reassess how to prevent any conflict between economic ventures and their core values in future dealings.
The engagement with ICE, initially intended for unspecified 'due diligence and concept designs,' sparked outrage among Indigenous groups and broader communities who viewed it as a betrayal, especially as contemporary deportations disproportionately affect Native Americans. The tribe has since reiterated its commitment to aligning future ventures with its cultural values and the welfare of its community.
