Latest news with #Akima
Yahoo
06-04-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Some Alaska Native shareholders speak out against NANA corporation's involvement in immigrant detention centers
Apr. 6—Some shareholders with one of Alaska's largest corporations are speaking out about the company's involvement in immigration detention centers overseen by U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, including at the Guantánamo Bay naval base in Cuba. NANA, an Alaska regional Native corporation from Northwest Alaska, gets most of its revenue from its Akima subsidiary. Akima owns dozens of companies that provide a variety of contracting services to the federal government. Some of the contracts include running migrant detention centers where audits and groups have criticized safety and health standards. One of those companies, Akima Infrastructure Protection, won a $163 million contract from the Biden administration last year to run a migrant detention facility at U.S. Naval Station Guantánamo Bay in Cuba, known for the separate military prison used to hold terrorism suspects. President Donald Trump, through an executive order, has ordered the detention facility to house up to 30,000 migrants. That has raised concerns among immigrant rights' advocates who have sued the Trump administration and argued that keeping detainees at the remote center will be costly, and result in violations of due process rights and humane treatment. Jackie Qataliña Schaeffer, a NANA shareholder and former board member for the corporation, said she was dismayed to read a recent article in The Guardian that discusses that contract and concerns about Akima facing accusations of civil rights abuses at some migrant detention centers. She said this issue also cropped up in 2018, and she and other shareholders are disappointed to see that it is continuing. Representatives with NANA, including NANA board chair Piquk Linda Lee and Akima chief executive Bill Monet, did not return phone calls or emails seeking comment for this story. Akima's huge role at NANA NANA reported $2.8 billion in revenues in 2024, and distributed nearly $47 million in revenue to shareholders, according to the corporation's 2024 annual report. Akima accounted for close to 80% of the revenue, pulling in $2.2 billion, the report showed. Headquartered in Herndon, Virginia, Akima had "a record-breaking $3.1 billion in contract wins in FY24," the annual report says. Founded 30 years ago, the company "supports federal missions on over 2,000 active contracts," the report says. Contracts of Akima subsidiaries include creating immersive training environments for special forces and ensuring mission readiness for aircraft, including jumbo jets and Air Force One, the report says. The companies operate satellite systems for the Department of Defense, conduct environmental studies for the U.S. Geological Survey, and maintain critical infrastructure at NASA and other agencies, the report says. Akima, which means "to win" in the Iñupiaq language, pursues benefits under the Small Business Administration's 8(a) program. The program provides contracting advantages to Alaska Native corporations, which have been designated as minority and economically disadvantaged. The 8(a) program allows companies to team up with experienced partners, and pursue large, set-aside or sole-source contracting opportunities with the federal government. The Guardian article, published in February, raised concerns about some Akima subsidiaries and immigrant detention centers. The story said that Akima Global Services runs multiple migrant detention centers, including a detention center in Buffalo and Krome North service processing center in Florida. The Guardian reported that: —Akima Global Services was faulted for violating use-of-force standards in incidents at Krome North service processing center in Miami, in an audit last year by the Department of Homeland Security Inspector General. Guards used inappropriate force on multiple occasions, including a chokehold on a detainee and pepper-spraying another detainee through a solitary confinement door slot, though the detainee didn't threaten anyone, the audit found. —The detention center in Buffalo was the subject of a civil rights complaint, when immigrant rights groups accused guards of using physical force and solitary confinement to deal with hunger strikers protesting prolonged detentions in cells and an end to free phone calls to family. Opposition to NANA's involvement Schaeffer, along with two other NANA shareholders, organized a survey last month on Facebook to ask how shareholders viewed the corporation's involvement in the detention centers, which was previously reported by Alaska Public Media. "Mostly I'm wondering why we'd even be in this line of work because it goes against everything we are as Iñupiaq," Schaeffer said, referring to traditional Iñupiaq values. Those values are spelled out on NANA's website and in a video from Akima. They include treating everyone with dignity and respect, honesty and integrity. The survey was small. Over a week, 102 people responded anonymously, all NANA shareholders, Schaeffer said. (NANA is owned by more than 15,500 Iñupiaq shareholders.) The survey asked if NANA should allow subsidiaries to operate immigration detention centers and provide services for U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement. By far, most said NANA should not let its subsidiaries provide those services. A small minority said it should. Close to half didn't know Akima operated immigrant detention centers. The results were presented to the NANA board at the corporation's annual meeting last month in the village of Shungnak in Northwest Alaska, Schaeffer said. Schaeffer said NANA leadership has provided no direct response to the shareholders who organized the survey. She said she and other shareholders plan to press the issue in a letter to the NANA board. Kat Napaaqtuk Milligan-McClellan, an author of the survey, said she wrote a letter to NANA leadership on this same topic in 2018, urging them not to pursue any contracts with Immigration and Customs Enforcement in the future, she said. "Nothing has changed since then," she said. "We still have contracts with ICE, even though we know that there have been several issues with Akima and ICE in the past." The survey results are reassuring, she said. "It was really helpful to know that other NANA shareholders agree that NANA subsidiaries should not be working with ICE, and that the mistreatment of immigrants goes against" Iñupiaq values, she said. Many survey respondents included statements with their answers. A handful expressed support for the detention centers. "These questions are based on a prejudiced view of ICE activities derived from an article in a publication critical of law enforcement, contracting, and the current administration. As a NANA shareholder, I am impressed and proud of the work Akima does and trust that Akima employees do their best. Let's support them as they support us," one comment said. About 50 respondents provided comments opposing NANA subsidiaries running detention centers. Several used the word "racist" to describe Trump's efforts to detain and deport immigrants. "We as Indigenous people know what it's like to be racially profiled and I wonder if that's what's happened to some of those detainees just because of their ethnic origin," another wrote. "I don't think Nana should partake in these types of contracts just for the money. "Hurting other humans is not in our Ilitqusit," one commenter wrote, referring to Iñupiaq values and traditions. "While cash is needed for NANA to remain operational, it cannot be at the expense of potentially hurting people in any manner," another said. Schaeffer said the lack of a response from NANA speaks volumes. "Shareholders have asked for more transparency for years and get excuses as to why it can't be done — most are because, 'It could harm our businesses and competitors,'" she said. "But we're simply asking why we are engaged in this line of work and how many such contracts there are," she said. Milligan-McClellan said she believes NANA should terminate its contracts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. "I'm a shareholder and I should have a voice in the way that my company and subsidiaries are being run," she said. "And the other thing that is very frustrating to me is that we don't get a response from the board or from the (NANA) president. This is distressing to me because I don't know if they are going to act upon this."
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Akima Promotes Jon Stringfield to General Manager of Arctic Peak
HERNDON, Va., March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Akima, a premier provider of products and services to the federal government, is proud to announce the promotion of Jon Stringfield to general manager of Arctic Peak, an Akima subsidiary specializing in construction services for government and commercial clients. In his new role, Jon will oversee Arctic Peak's strategic initiatives, drive operational efficiencies, and expand the company's public sector and commercial construction services. "Jon's extensive expertise in federal contracting and his deep understanding of construction industry complexities make him the ideal leader to guide Arctic Peak into its next chapter of growth and success," said Chris Jenkins, President of Akima's Construction and Security Solutions Group. "His proven ability to deliver exceptional results for Arctic Peak's clients gives us full confidence that, under his leadership, the company will continue to excel and reinforce our commitment to providing top-tier construction services." Jon has been a valued member of the Akima team since 2011. In his previous role as Director of Program Excellence, he spearheaded numerous Executive Program Management Reviews (EPMRs), which were instrumental in the successful execution of projects across the Akima portfolio. This leadership transition underscores Akima's dedication to continuity, operational excellence, and the professional growth of its employees. By promoting proven leaders like Jon, Akima reaffirms its commitment to delivering exceptional value and maintaining the highest standards of service for its government and commercial clients. About Arctic PeakArctic Peak, an SBA-certified 8(a) company wholly owned by an Alaska Native Corporation, specializes in construction, renovation, and demolition projects. With extensive experience in providing crucial construction solutions, Arctic Peak ensures the efficient housing of operations and the security of information. For more details, visit Arctic Peak. About AkimaAkima is a global enterprise with 10,000 employees, delivering solutions to the federal government in the core areas of information technology, facilities & ground logistics; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Iñupiat values. In 2024, Akima ranked #29 on Washington Technology's Top 100 list of government contractors. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Akima
The Guardian
20-02-2025
- Business
- The Guardian
Revealed: US firm running Guantánamo migrant jail accused over rights abuses
A corporate conglomerate now running the US government's immigration detention center at the Guantánamo Bay naval base on a lucrative contract has been the subject of critical audits and a civil rights complaint over conditions at three other migrant lockups it has run within the US, documents reviewed by the Guardian show. In one example, a federal audit report on a migrant facility run by the company in Miami found multiple incidents of alleged 'inappropriate use of force' – including guards pepper-spraying a man in solitary confinement even though he posed no threat to them, the report said. Akima, the Virginia-headquartered company running the Guantánamo Bay migrant lockup, has over 40 subsidiaries and more than 2,000 contracts with the US government. From IT maintenance to armed security, with work stretching from Saudi Arabia to Arizona, Akima provides government contracting services to dozens of federal agencies. Last year, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (Ice) awarded a contract to one of Akima's subsidiaries to run the Guantánamo migrant operations government has for years run a migrant detention center at the naval base but it became a focal point last month when Donald Trump announced that his administration was going to detain many more immigrants there. In August of 2024, Akima Infrastructure Protection was given a $163.4m contract by the Biden administration to run the migrant detention facility at Guantánamo through June of 2029. Now, as Trump expands migrant detention there, Akima's role is drawing attention. The Ice detention center at Guantánamo now operated by Akima is separate from the military prison used to hold terrorism suspects. Since 2021, the migrant facility has detained few migrants, averaging between four and 40 people at any given time, although it was used for tens of thousands of migrant detainees in the 1990s. The Guantánamo Bay US naval base is located on leased land on the south-eastern coast of Cuba, roughly 430 miles south-east of Miami, and separated from the Republic of Cuba. 'The Guantánamo Bay military base is seared in the minds of the world as a dark site of torture and impunity,' said Jesse Franzblau, senior policy analyst with the National Immigrant Justice Center. 'There is no rational justification for shipping off immigrants to Guantánamo Bay, which should not be used to detain any human beings. Sending people there now without any due process or access to counsel flies in the face of US and international law.' On 29 January, Trump signed an executive order instructing the Department of Defense and the Department of Homeland Security to expand the Guantánamo migrant detention center to accommodate up to 30,000 migrants. Since then, new tent cities have been set up there by homeland security and military officials. According to the US navy, sailors have helped erect tents, with the 'first phase of expansion' increasing the capacity to hold 2,000 migrants. So far, the Trump administration has sent more than 150 migrant men to Guantánamo on flights from the US, marking the first time that migrants previously on US soil have been sent to the military base. Previously it was used for people picked up at sea. A spokesperson for the Pentagon's southern command redirected all questions about Akima's contract to Ice. Ice, the Department of Homeland Security, Akima, and multiple attorneys representing Akima in a lawsuit and in contract disputes did not respond to multiple requests for comment. According to contracting records reviewed by the Guardian, the migrant facility is split into two, one section controlled by Ice and a lower-security section under the control of the US state department and the United Nations' international organization for migration, with little known about their occupants. 'This long-running program is an important element of US efforts to deter and disrupt dangerous, illegal maritime migration in the Caribbean,' a state department spokesperson said in a statement to the Guardian, and redirected all other questions, including about sending people to Guantánamo from the US interior in recent weeks, to homeland security officials. The UN international organization for migration did not respond to a request for comment. Ice awarded Akima Infrastructure Protection a government contract to run the stricter detention section of the migrant facility. The company was required to guarantee they could quickly expand capacity at the site for up to 400 migrants with the construction of a 'tent city', according to a US government contracting website. 'Guantánamo is an example of how immigration enforcement is expanding past Ice – it is involving the Department of Defense, it is going offshore, in a remote location, to a place that is a place symbolic of abuse and torture,' said Setareh Ghandehari, advocacy director at Detention Watch Network. She added: 'It is that much more infuriating to know that there are massive corporations profiting off of people's lives and the abuse that people are experiencing in immigration detention.' The Trump administration has not released details on how many migrants are currently detained at Guantánamo or how long they will be there. A military spokesperson told the Guardian that, as of last Friday morning, there were 62 'high-threat illegal aliens' at the terrorism-related military prison, and 50 other migrants held at the migrant operations center. Reports claim that all of the latest migrants at the facility are originally from Venezuela. Although the Trump administration has accused the migrant men of being the 'worst of the worst' – members of a Venezuelan prison gang, Tren de Aragua – CBS reported 'low-risk' migrants, with no criminal record, can also be sent there. Subsequent reports said family members of some of the men claim they are innocent and not members of the gang. Earlier this month, a federal judge in New Mexico blocked the potential transfer of three other men to Guantánamo. One of those three Venezuelan men said he feared being taken there because it is a 'black hole'. 'I also see that human rights are constantly violated at Guantánamo, so I fear what could happen to me if I get taken there,' Abrahan Barrios Morales said in his statement. The three men were later deported. Additionally, a group of civil rights organizations filed a lawsuit last Wednesday, demanding that the Trump administration allow migrant detainees access to lawyers. Records reviewed by the Guardian show that Akima Infrastructure Protection has so far received more than $9m for its Guantánamo operations since August, out of the total $163.4m they were awarded. The biggest portion of that, $7.9m, was given to the company on 7 February, records show. Elsewhere, a review of documents shows that Akima's subsidiaries contract with agencies within the departments of defense, energy, interior and others. Some of Akima's subsidiaries provide government buyers with IT services, equipment maintenance and other services. Akima contractors also maintain US military helicopters in Saudi Arabia and provide training to Saudi military forces. In 2022, Akima Global Services, one of the company's subsidiaries, operated a now closed facility in Texas for unaccompanied migrant children, according to court records reviewed by the Guardian. In other instances, Akima subsidiaries run immigration jails for Ice. Akima Global Services runs at least five migrant detention centers, the Guardian found. These include the Buffalo detention center in New York, the Port Isabel facility in Texas, the North Krome service processing center in Florida and the Florence service processing center in Arizona. This subsidiary, the Guardian learned, also runs guard operations at three migrant detention spaces in Puerto Rico. Last year, a group of immigrant rights organizations filed a civil rights complaint, alleging that officials at the Buffalo detention facility retaliated against 40 hunger strikers protesting against a lack of free phone calls to family and prolonged lockups, with physical force and solitary confinement. It is unknown whether the homeland security civil rights office launched an investigation or reached any conclusion. Last October, Ice extended Akima Global Services' contract through the end of this month to run the Krome North service processing center in Miami, despite criticism for its treatment of migrants. Last year, the DHS inspector general released a report that found Akima guards did not comply with use-of-force standards. In one case, the report found, guards pepper-sprayed a detainee through a solitary confinement cell door slot. 'The officers were not under threat, and the detainee was not a threat to himself or others,' the report said. In response, Ice agreed with most of the inspector general's findings, and added that staffers 'who might have been involved in a use-of-force incident' were 're-trained in de-escalation techniques and mental health assistance'. In 2023, the DHS inspector general released an audit of the Port Isabel service processing center in Texas, finding there were significant issues at the facility that threatened the health and safety of migrant detainees. The audit documented violations related to use of force. They also found conditions inside the solitary confinement unit to be so unsafe they recommended the building be condemned. As the Guardian reported in December, the contract with Akima was extended and officials began searching for contractors to demolish the solitary unit, design and build a new one. The world of federal contracting can be murky, with subsidiaries of subsidiaries often receiving federal government contracts. Akima, the parent company of Akima Infrastructure Protection, is itself a subsidiary, owned by an even larger company, the Nana Regional Corporation. In the 1970s, to settle longstanding land claims by Alaskan natives, 13 regional Alaskan Native corporations were created. These are all owned by indigenous Alaskan shareholders, with dozens of subsidiaries. The corporations' status means company stocks cannot be sold or traded, making them exempt from certain oversight by the US Securities and Exchange Commission. The Nana Regional Corporation, which owns Akima, is one of these Alaskan Native corporations, and despite belonging to a giant conglomerate, Nana and Akima subsidiaries are classified as 'small businesses', regularly receiving federal government contracts reserved for small and minority-owned companies. Akima has so many contracts through its subsidiaries that the company recently boasted of being worth $2bn. Despite being headquartered in Virginia, Akima capitalizes on its links to Native tribes – its website includes videos and images of Iñupiat Indigenous people and the snowy Alaskan tundra. Although Akima's staff are not all Alaskan Natives, a portion of the earnings go to Native shareholders in Alaska. It is unclear what the Guantánamo situation looks like currently and what it means, legally, for migrants. DHS secretary Kristi Noem said 'due process will be followed' for migrants there. The facility is extremely secretive. Contracting documents reviewed by the Guardian mention migrants under Ice custody are to be transported around the base in 'black-out vans' with 'hand restraints and black-out goggles to obscure their vision'. Recent photos released of the Guantánamo migrant detention operations do not show use of black-out goggles, but they do show the use of blacked-out buses. 'I'm very concerned that as we move on to detaining people at Guantánamo, there will be less and less visibility for the American public as to what is going on there,' Bianca Tylek, founder and executive director of Worth Rises, a non-profit advocacy that tracks for-profit companies in the US detention system, said. Access to information about activities at Guantánamo Bay is especially difficult for advocates or the media. 'Conditions are awful throughout the web of Ice detention in the US. People are subject to abuse, food is often rotten, they don't have access to water. There are places with sewage problems, there is medical neglect and abuse – all of this is endemic, it's part of the Ice detention system,' said Ghandehari of Detention Watch Network. She concluded: 'So there's no reason to think Guantánamo will be any different. But because we don't have the same level of access, it is going to be hard for us to document how bad it really is.'
Yahoo
30-01-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Akima Names Jonathan Peppard as VP of Strategic Capture
HERNDON, Va., Jan. 30, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Akima, a premier provider of products and services to the federal government, announced today the appointment of Jonathan Peppard as vice president of strategic capture. In this role, Peppard will lead Akima's efforts to capture new business growth opportunities focused on technology solutions and services. Peppard's leadership will be crucial to driving competitive growth and maximizing gross margins by leveraging Akima's complete portfolio of robust solutions. "Peppard's extensive expertise in business development and technology solutions, combined with his proven track record in the Federal defense and intelligence sectors, will be a major asset as we continue to expand Akima's capabilities in digital and IT markets," said Bill Monet, president and CEO of Akima. "He has a natural ability to connect with clients and deliver tailored solutions that meet their needs. I am confident his leadership will create new opportunities and strengthen our relationships across the industry." In his role, he will lead business development initiatives around various project lifecycles for defense and federal agencies, including digital modernization; digital engineering; enterprise-scale live, virtual, and constructive (LVC) training; command, control, computers, communications, cyber, intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C5ISR); as well as emerging technologies including generative artificial intelligence and robotic process automation. With 27 years of expertise in capture management, business development, and program management, Peppard has been instrumental in supporting numerous defense and intelligence programs vital to national security. Over the course of his career, he has successfully led the capture of more than $3.5 billion in direct contract awards. Peppard also holds esteemed certifications in capture and program management from industry leaders such as Shipley Associates, Lockheed Martin, and Raytheon. About AkimaAkima is a global enterprise with 10,000 employees, delivering solutions to the federal government in the core areas of information technology, facilities & ground logistics; aerospace solutions; protective services; systems engineering; mission support; furniture, fixtures & equipment (FF&E); and construction. As a subsidiary of NANA, an Alaska Native Corporation owned by more than 15,000 Iñupiat shareholders, Akima's core mission is to enable superior outcomes for our customers' missions while simultaneously creating a long-lived asset for NANA consistent with our Iñupiat values. In 2024, Akima ranked #29 on Washington Technology's Top 100 list of government contractors. Learn more at View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE Akima Sign in to access your portfolio
