Contractor
Active
Ahtna Technical Services (Ahtna, Inc.)
facility-operator
Glennallen, Alaska
Founded 1972
Ahtna Technical Services, LLC (ATSL) is a subsidiary of Ahtna, Inc., an Alaska Native Regional Corporation (ANRC). Through its family of companies, Ahtna has operated ICE detention facilities since at least 2002, using the federal 8(a) contracting program designed for small disadvantaged businesses. This structure allows ICE to award large sole-source contracts that might otherwise require competitive bidding.
ICE Detention Operations
- Port Isabel Detention Center (Texas) – Ahtna has staffed this facility (capacity ~1,200) for approximately a decade. Port Isabel is located near the alexandria-la-staging-facility region used for ICE staging operations.
- Houston Contract Detention Facility – Operations and guard services
- Recent contract: $35 million for guard services at a Texas facility (2025)
- Historical contract value reportedly reached $800 million
The 8(a) / ANRC Contracting Question
Ahtna’s use of the SBA 8(a) program for ICE detention contracting raises questions about the program’s intent:
- The 8(a) program was designed to help small, disadvantaged businesses compete for federal contracts
- Alaska Native Corporations receive special treatment under the program, including exemption from the usual competitive bidding threshold
- This allows ICE to award large sole-source contracts to Ahtna subsidiaries without the transparency of competitive procurement
- Ahtna has pushed back on characterizations of it as a “tribe,” clarifying it is an Alaska Native Regional Corporation – a for-profit entity
Services
Ahtna Technical Services provides:
- Detention center management and security
- Guard services
- Logistics and military training support
- Facility maintenance and operations
- Performance-Based National Detention Standards (PBNDS) compliance