OTTAWA COUNTY — For Daisy Pineda, the fight for immigrant justice isn't an abstract political issue — it's etched into her family's story.

The 25-year-old Ottawa County Court clerk's quiet life took a sharp turn toward advocacy when her mother and sister made the agonizing choice to leave their Ottawa County home and return to Mexico in June 2024. 

The driving force behind their departure, Pineda said, was the fear of immigration enforcement should Donald J. Trump be elected in the November election — which did come to pass.

Pineda is now a leading voice in Indivisible Grand Haven, a local chapter of the nationwide grassroots movement that sprang up to resist the Trump agenda. She oversees an immigrant relief fund created through the El Corazón program at St. John’s Episcopal Church in Grand Haven, and said she is working with the members of Indivisible to see if they can help move it forward.

From handbells to advocacy

Pineda's path to activism was an unexpected one, beginning with the handbell choir at St. John's. It was through a church connection that the need for fresh leadership within a local Indivisible group surfaced. For Pineda, the complexities of immigration were not theoretical; they were the daily realities her family navigated.

"It's been a concern since I was little," Pineda explained, recalling the constant underlying worry about her loved ones. That fear became acutely real when her sister, 31-year-old Cynthia Pineda, a Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) recipient, received an unsettling summons from the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency, or ICE. 

Despite her legal status under the DACA program, which shields young immigrants brought to the U.S. as children from deportation and grants work authorization, the unexplained demand to appear at the ICE office in Grand Rapids sent shockwaves through the family. Their immediate fear: deportation. However, that isn’t what happened. 

Although Cynthia wasn't immediately deported, the subsequent restrictions imposed on her were becoming clear. 

"She's lived here since she was 5, became a DACA recipient at 18, works, pays taxes," Pineda said. "And she was being treated like a sex offender."

Beyond individual cases, Pineda sees systemic barriers hindering legal immigration for many. 

"It's often impossible without money or connections," she said. 

Her family, like countless others, had come to the U.S. seeking a better life, building a foundation from nothing, only to be viewed with suspicion, Pineda said.

The fear ultimately led to the decision for her mom, Yolanda Pineda, and her sister, to deport to Monterrey. 

"It felt like I left a part of myself behind," Daisy Pineda said. 

The inability to share life's milestones or receive a comforting embrace fuels her unwavering commitment to advocacy, she said. 

“Learning to grow in a country with no blood relatives is hard. But the hardest part is not being able to be together and celebrate big life goals or have my mother hold me when I’m at my lowest. With a change like this, it is known for people to grieve as though your loved ones passed,” she said. 

“My fiancé, Nathan Koetsier, has been the biggest support through this. The day my sister received that letter from Homeland Security, our home was the quietest it’s ever been. We threw so many ideas around, but we knew long-term the best plan was for my mother and sister to make the move back to Mexico.”

Local action, tangible impact

Fueled by this personal loss, Pineda stepped into a co-leadership role at Indivisible Grand Haven, working alongside Rachel Gagnon and Jessica Bowman. 

The local chapter's efforts are bolstered by the integration of the Immigrant Justice team from St. John's Episcopal Church, an institution with a strong history of welcoming immigrants, rooted in their faith, Pineda said. 

Indivisible Grand Haven tackles a broad spectrum of interconnected issues, including education, Veterans Affairs, LGBTQ+ rights, and environmental protection, mirroring the national movement's progressive aims. 

Pineda said the local chapter's nonpartisan approach, uniting diverse individuals under shared values of justice and community well-being, is what makes it unique.

Pineda is behind two key initiatives through Indivisible Grand Haven's tangible impact: Fiesta el Campo and the Immigrant Relief Fund.

Fiesta el Campo — which literally translates to "party in the fields" — is an annual event dedicated to providing resources to often-overlooked migrant workers in the West Olive area, Pineda said. 

What began as Pineda and her mother packing their car with supplies has blossomed into a large-scale community event. Partnering with organizations such as the Red Cross for health checkups and Feeding America for food distribution, the fiesta provides essential services and items like clothing and hygiene products. 

This initiative complements other local efforts to support the Hispanic community, such as the Grand Haven Hispanic Heritage Fiesta and St. John's Episcopal Church's ministry to migrant camps.

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Recognizing the unique vulnerabilities of immigrant families during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly their exclusion from federal aid, Indivisible Grand Haven established the Immigrant Relief Fund. This initiative provided financial assistance to hundreds of families in West Michigan, helping them cover essential expenses. 

Pineda's deep understanding of immigration complexities has made her a trusted resource within the community.

Although immigrant justice remains a central focus, Indivisible Grand Haven's broader engagement reflects a commitment to overall community well-being and a strong belief in democratic principles. Pineda encourages anyone interested to attend their regular meetings.

— Heather VanDyke covers northern Ottawa County for the Ottawa News Network. Contact her at newsroom@ottawanewsnetwork.org.