Press Conference addresses Mayor LaGrand’s silence on meeting with Cosecha and recent GRPD assistance with ICE abductions
On Tuesday Movimiento Cosecha, GR Rapid Response to ICE and No Detention Centers in Michigan held a Press Conference on the lower level of City Hall. The Press Conference was designed to address two critical issues, the failure of Mayor LaGrand respond to an invitation from Cosecha to have a community meeting on the six sanctuary policies and recent GRPD collaboration with ICE.
During the Press Conference a representative from Cosecha stated:
Mayor LaGrand, in June 2026, during a City Commission meeting, claimed that our groups would not engage in a productive conversation with him. On June 24, Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE sent an email inviting Mayor LaGrand to a public meeting. We wrote: “We believe that a public meeting is important to promote transparency, accountability, and meaningful dialogue between community members and city leadership regarding these policies.” We only received an automatic reply confirming that the Mayor’s Office had received our email. We were seeking a possible date for this meeting, and a month later, in July, we sent a follow-up email. To this date, we have received no response. So let’s be clear: we reached out. We invited the Mayor to have a public conversation. We asked for transparency, accountability, and meaningful dialogue.
And yet, there has been silence.
Mayor LaGrand has been insensitive to the immigrant working community facing ICE violence and has shown disregard for the family separation happening in his city. We are here today to demand that Mayor LaGrand respond to the community.
Regarding the issue of GRPD collaboration with ICE, Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE stated:
On July 28, the GR Rapid Response to ICE hotline received a message that ICE had kidnapped a father who was coming out of the Kentwood court after showing up for a notice of appearance related to some traffic violations. According to his U.S. citizen wife, he did not have an immigration judicial warrant, and he was arrested in front of her and their two young U.S. citizen children. She requested accompaniment to the ICE office to bring paperwork showing that he had an approved immigration process and to ask for her husband to be released.
While we were waiting for the wife to get an answer from the ICE office, GRPD showed up but did not engage with us. They waited until the private GEO van, which transports people and was transporting the husband to North Lake, was ready to leave the ICE office garage, located behind the office. GRPD officers then pushed the responders out of the sidewalk and escorted the GEO van while masked ICE agents remained inside the garage.
Similarly, on Sunday, August 2, GR Rapid Response to ICE and Movimiento Cosecha responded to an alert at the ICE office. Once again, GRPD showed up at the exact moment that the ICE office garage door opened to allow the GEO van to leave. This is showing coordination between ICE, GEO transportation, and GRPD. We broadcast everything through our Facebook Live feed. Even though GRPD continues to deny cooperation with ICE, the evidence is showing the contrary.
It is imperative that the City pass the six sanctuary policies so that GRPD will have a local ordinance prohibiting the type of cooperation we have just described. City resources should not be used to support ICE’s violent, clandestine, and lawless actions.
Cosecha filmed the entire Press Conferenfce, which you can watch here.
Both Michigan Public Radio and the online publication Michigan Advance attended the Press Conference.
Grand Rapids City Commission meeting
After the Press Conference members of Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE went to the 2pm Grand Rapids City Commission meeting to address the same issues discussed during the Press Conference.
Several people spoke about these two issues, plus they were joined by other community members who spoke primarily about the Flock cameras that the GRPD uses in Grand Rapids.
Several City Commissioners responded at the end to supporting more conversation of the Flock cameras and at a minimum some sort of audit. There were also some acknowledgement of the GRPD collaboration with ICE, but with no specifics and one commissioner referred to it as allegation.
Mayor LaGrand spoke the longest, a total of 23 minutes, which begins at 1:54:16 in the video of the City Commission meeting.
The Mayor went out of his way to salute those speaking about Flock cameras because, “they offered real policy solutions.” This is interesting, because each of the six sanctuary policies that Cosecha introduced at the beginning of 2025 are all concrete solutions that would prohibit the City of Grand Rapids from sharing information on residents with ICE, using City resources to assist ICE and specifically prohibiting the GRPD from working with ICE in any form.
At one point Mayor LaGrand said that he did not laugh at someone who talked about the Peaceful Observers. “That person was openly contemptuous of my involvement with this group,” according to LaGrand. The Mayor then talked about all the work he put into what that group is attempting to do, but he fails to mention that this group formed without the consent of those who are being targeted by ICE. Here is an analysis of the Peaceful Observers group and why it is problematic from white people to create something that affected communities did not ask for.
LaGrand did acknowledge that he was glad for some of the work that Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE has done. He then went on to say that he has investigated himself allegations of ICE activity, with a specific example of ICE taking people from hospitals. LaGrand said he talked with hospital security and hospital administration and they assured him that ICE has not come in the building. The fact is that there have been several incidents at local hospitals where ICE has been active, as people who were being targeted called the GR Rapid Response to ICE hotline requesting people show up. GR Rapid Response to ICE listens to those being targeted by ICE, not those in positions of authority.
At about 2:07:20 into the video the Mayor addresses the incident at the 517 ICE Office where members of GR Rapid Response to ICE were attempting to prevent a GEO Group van that had someone ICE abducted from leaving the 517 Ottawa ICE office, which I reported on.
The Mayor’s response to this incident is exactly what many of us thought he would say, which was that members of GR Rapid Response to ICE were blocking an alleyway and that the GRPD will make sure that even the safety of US federal agents are also being protected. At one point LaGrand said, “ICE agents are humans.”
Those in positions of authority can justify anything they want, and indeed have done so throughout history. A big part of the problem is the narrative that the GRPD and Mayor LaGrand want to use. For the people on the scene they were responding to a GR Rapid Response to ICE call, where ICE had earlier abducted an immigrant in Grand Rapids and brought them to the 517 Ottawa ICE office. Once the abducted immigrant was processed the GEO Group-owned van that was parked inside the 517 Ottawa ICE office would then transport the abducted immigrant to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan. The people who were blocking the alleyway were attempting to prevent the GEO Group van from departing because ICE had abducted another immigrant from this community. Those responding would not call what they did a violation, rather they would call what they did their obligation to practice solidarity with immigrants targeted by ICE and to either disrupt or reduce that harm that ICE had committed and the profiting of the GEO Group, which has a contract with ICE to run the detention center in Baldwin.
Mayor LaGrand can hide behind laws all they want, but just because something is legal doesn’t mean it is right.
“Apartheid was legal.
The Holocaust was legal.
Slavery was legal.
Colonialism was legal.
Legality is a matter of power, not justice.”
Indeed, Dr. King in his Letter from a Birmingham Jail said, “individuals have a moral responsibility to disobey unjust laws.” This is exactly what GR Rapid Response to ICE is willing to do.
Local News bias on ICE and violence in Grand Rapids
Last week several local news organizations reported that a Guatemalan man who has entered the US without documentation on numerous occasions has been sentenced to two years in prison for “assaulting and resisting” an ICE agent, according to the United States Attorney’s Office Western District of Michigan.
The Guatemalan immigrant was being pursued by ICE agents and when he pulled over fled his vehicle. When the ICE agents finally caught up with this man the immigrant, “pushed an officer and wrestled with him on the ground before being arrested.” One of the ICE agents injured his knee while wrestling with the man on the ground, which is why he was charged with assault.
According to the story on WOODTV8, after “his sentence is completed, he will be deported again to Guatemala.” Even though the article had already reported on the specifics of the case, they quote at length a US Attorney with the same information, but they also include a direct quote from the US Attorney:
“My office fully supports the important and dangerous work our immigration officers are asked to do and will always vigorously prosecute attacks like this one.”
This story is deeply problematic and it reflects the inherent bias in how local news has reported on the issue of ICE, immigration and violence. First, the story was generated from a Press Release sent out by the US Attorney’s Office on August 6th. If you look at the story on WOODTV8 you can see there is not much difference to what they reported and what the Press Release says, which means they probably didn’t talk to anyone or verify the information.
Second, there are no sources provided in this story from the perspective of an immigration lawyer, an organization like the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center or an immigrant-led group like Movimiento Cosecha. I say this to point out that when immigration organizations hold an event or a press conference the local news almost always seeks out a statement from local law enforcement agencies or a government spokesperson.
Third, the channel 8 story did not include the following comment from the US Attorney’s Press Release:
This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime.
No where in the news coverage of this story is there any link between the Guatemalan man with, “cartels and transnational criminal organizations.” Linking undocumented immigrants with criminal behavior is what the Trump Administration has been attempting to do. However, the majority of immigrants abducted by ICE have no criminal history. CBS News reported Feb. 9 that “less than 14% of nearly 400,000 immigrants arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement in President Trump’s first year back in the White House had charges or convictions for violent criminal offenses.”
Fourth, besides the WOODTV8 story, MLive and WZZM 13 also reported on this case, relying exclusively on the US Attorney’s Office Press Release. However, the local news will rarely, if ever, report on the violence perpetrated by ICE in Grand Rapids/Kent County. Movimiento Cosecha and GR Rapid Response to ICE have documented incidents of violence and harm perpetrated by ICE against undocumented immigrants since 2017, with an increase in ICE activity in 2026. Here are ways in which ICE perpetuates violence against undocumented immigrants that are not being reported on:
- ICE abducts immigrants on a daily basis in Kent County just because they are undocumented. These abductions often include force used by ICE agents.
- When undocumented immigrants are abducted by ICE it traumatizes the person abducted, along with their family members, especially children.
- Immigrants who have been abducted by ICE end up going to the GEO Group-owned North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan. Once an immigrant is at the detention center in Baldwin they are subjected to physical abuse at the hands of of guards, poor nutrition and inadequate health care, which are all forms of violence and violate the rights of immigrants.
- Most undocumented immigrants abducted by ICE are the primary income earners, which means that families have little or no income to meet their basic needs. Subjecting immigrant families to economic insecurity is also a form of violence, which is never reported by local news.
- When immigrants are released from detention they are either subjected to state surveillance through ankle and wrist bracelets or they must download a phone app which allows ICE to monitor them continuously. Mass surveillance is violence. The other outcome of being released from detention is when immigrants are deported, thus causing further family separation and financial hardship, plus it can often means deporting them to a country they fled because of the political violence, thus subjecting them to persecution and possible death.
A major reason why news agencies do not report on the types of violence that immigrants are subjected to is because it is lawful for ICE to abducted, detain and deport immigrants, thus normalizing violence that is inherently part of the legal system. News reporters see federal agencies as inherently good and necessary, thus completely ignoring the systemic violence they perpetrate.
Influence Peddlers: New data on Lobbying Firms in Michigan and how they influence public policy
The Primary Election is now behind us and according to https://www.transparencyusa.org/mi/ in Michigan along up til now in the current election cycle the total amount of campaign contributions was $138,260,343.03.
Imagine how many houses could be built for families with $138 million or how many renters could have their rent covered for the next year, providing substantial relief for the high cost of rent?
Of course there was a small number of individuals and Political Action Committees that spent the bulk of the $138 million. Hell, Doug and Pamela DeVos alone contributed just over $5 million combined. Imagine how much more money will be contributed and spent between now and the November Election and how much political influence will be invested by the rich?
Another arena of influence peddling in Michigan are all of the lobbyist groups. According to a recent article in Crain’s Grand Rapids Business the top 25 Lobbying Firms spent roughly $17 million to influence the Michigan Legislature. (See graphic below) These 25 lobbying firms represented the interests of such corporations as Blue Cross/Blue Shield, Ford Motor Co., DTE, Stryker, Microsoft, Illitch Holdings, Oracle, Vertex Pharmaceuticals, Michigan Artificial Intelligence Association, Humana Inc., WK Kellogg Co., and Delta Airlines.
These lobbying firms get paid to represent the interests of these companies in matters of public policy. For example, the fact that Microsoft and Michigan Artificial Intelligence Association both hired lobbying forms to represent the interests of AI and data centers should tell you something about what that industry is doing to influence state policy makers.
Now, the Crain’s Grand Rapids Business article said nothing about how lobbying firms influence public policy on behalf of corporations that have investments in Michigan or what to expand those interests. The Crain’s Grand Rapids Business article only provided information on how the lobbying industry has increased in recent years, stating:
“The total number of registered lobbying agents, those hired to do the lobbying, has held steady at around 1,600 over the years. But the number of registered lobbyists — the businesses and organizations paying for lobbying — has risen. The figure is approximately 1,900, according to a search of the lobbying database, up roughly 300, or 19%, in five years.”
While it is useful to know that there has been an increase in lobbyists in Lansing, the public needs to have a more robust investigation into how much influence and power that lobbyists have in determining public policy.
For example, it is important that roughly 40% of politicians eventually become lobbyists and represent corporate interests. Look at the the lobbying firm The WinMatt Group. Brandon Dillion, a former Democratic Party State Legislator is the CEO of The WinMatt Group right after leaving public office. Dillion now represents the interests of Detroit International Bridge Co., Oracle, Meridian, Gun Lake Tribe, and Fairlife.
The President of the WinMatt Group is Kate Skaggs, who is an East Grand Rapids Council member and the wife of State Representative a Phil Skaggs. Now that Skaggs has lost his bid to be a State Senator, he might join his wife’s lobbying firm and work to influence public policy on behalf of corporate and other special interests.
This is why I write about following the money when it comes to electoral politics, since money is the driving influence and money too often dictates public policy.
Those arrested at Kent County Sheriff’s Office demanding an end to ICE holds were found guilty during yesterday’s trial
The trial for the four defendants who non-violently stayed in the lobby of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office to demand an end the ICE holds at the Kent County Jail on January 5th took place yesterday.
The 4 defendants participated in this action in conjunction with Movimiento Cosecha and their campaign to get Kent County to adopt six sanctuary policies, a campaign which began in early 2025. In addition, the defendants were responding to what they and Cosecha has been hearing for the past two years, which is that immigrants were being held at the Kent County Jail for ICE, then being transported to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan.
What immigrant families had been sharing with Cosecha about ICE holds at the Kent County Jail was recently confirmed with a 2 page document obtained by FOIA that revealed the Kent County Sheriff had signed an agreement that they would engage in detainers for ICE upon request. This documented was signed by the Kent County Sheriff on March 5th of 2025.
The trial itself went longer than was expected by many, starting at 8:30am on Friday and ending at 6:30pm after the jury rendered a guilty verdict for the four defendants.
The Prosecutor only had three witnesses, all of which were members of the Kent County Sheriff’s Office and were involved in the arrest of the four defendants. It is worth noting that there were a total of nine Sheriff’s officers that arrested 5 non-violent activists who were merely standing in the lobby.
Under Sheriff Brian Muir, who is second in charge and is the likely successor to the current Sheriff who recently announced her retirement, revealed some interesting facts during his testimony. First, when asked by defense attorneys if what he said to the defendants at the time of the arrest was caught on his body camera Muir said no because his body camera “wasn’t working or wasn’t charged.”
A second interesting comment from Muir was while he was being cross examined by defense attorneys about whether or not the Sheriff’s Office shares Flock camera information with ICE. Muir said they share Flock camera images with all federal agencies that request them for a criminal investigation. Muir would not name ICE as being a federal agency, even when pressed on the matter, but by saying all federal agencies he admitted that includes ICE.
The Under Sheriff also revealed that their department has what he called the Real Time Intelligence Center, which essentially monitors everything happening at the buildings the Sheriff’s Office is in charge of (which includes the Kent County Jail), along with any interaction Sheriff’s officers have with the public and drone footage when drones are used. Muir shared this bit of information because he said that his officers were also monitoring Movimiento Cosecha’s livestream from inside the lobby of the Sheriff’s Office on the day of the action/arrest on January 5th and the post arrest video they did in the lobby of the jail with the defendants. Under Sheriff Muir essentially admitted that the Sheriff’s Office engages in surveillance of Cosecha, which means they likely do this to any organized efforts to challenge systems of power in Kent County.
Only two of the four defendants took the stand to offer testimony during the trial, especially since there seemed to be no need to be redundant with more defendants testifying with similar messages.
Movimiento Cosecha did send out a Press Release earlier in the week, but only WXMI 17 attended the trial. Their coverage relied heavily on the Kent County Sheriff’s perspective, which also released a statement after the verdict was rendered. Cosecha organizer Gema Lowe did have a quote that is worth sharing, stating, “I think the defense did a good job, but I think the only guilt that the defendants have is to be standing in solidarity with my community.” That news story can be found here.
As a contrast, here is a statement written by one of the defendants after the trial:
While we are disappointed in a guilty verdict we are in no way surprised. What the guilty verdict means is that it is legal for the Kent County Sheriff’s Office to collaborate with ICE and hold immigrants at the jail for ICE because of their signed agreement from March of 2025.
Our desire to end ICE holds at the Kent County Jail is rooted in solidarity with immigrants and because it would reduce the harm and terror they are faced with every day if the Kent County Sheriff’s Office wasn’t holding immigrants for ICE.
The consequence of the Sheriff’s Office holding immigrants for ICE means that they will be transported to the GEO Group-owned North Lake detention center in Baldwin, MI. At North Lake immigrants will face poor food quality, minimal medical care, verbal, psychological, physical and sexual abuse from the guards and ongoing family separation.
Lastly, what the guilty verdict means is that it is a crime to be in solidarity with immigrants, while the Kent County Sheriff’s Office collaboration with ICE is not only legal, it is normalized state terror.
(Editor’s note: Please turn up the volume to hear the questions and response in the video provided below.)
On Wednesday, at a public forum hosted by Lincoln Up, GRPD Chief Joe Trigg was asked a question about GRPD cooperation with ICE.
The question came from Movimiento Cosecha, but was asked by someone else as they had a prior commitment. The questioner clarified that the issue of GRPD cooperation with ICE was particularly in reference to the GRPD role in allowing the transport of an ICE abducted immigrant from the 517 Ottawa ICE office on Tuesday, which GRIID also wrote about.
In the 5:25 video you can hear the question and the Police Chief’s response. I just want to highlight some of what Chief Trigg had to say. Trigg’s response begins at 1:22 into the video. The Chief mentions de-escalation and says that they received a call about a group of protesters who were blocking the alleyway behind the 517 Ottawa ICE office.
Eyewitnesses on the scene told GRIID that the GRPD were there way before anything had happened, which means they were called, most likely by ICE. Chief Trigg later admits they received a 911 call about protesters. Trigg says the GRPD has a duty to respond to that call. He then claims there was a valid violation, so the GRPD moves up and “tell them to move.”
A big part of the problem is this narrative. For the people on the scene they were responding to a GR Rapid Response to ICE call, where ICE had earlier abducted an immigrant in Grand Rapids and brought them to the 517 Ottawa ICE office. Once the abducted immigrant was processed the GEO Group-owned van that was parked inside the 517 Ottawa ICE office would then transport the abducted immigrant to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan. The people who were blocking the alleyway were attempting to prevent the GEO Group van from departing because ICE had abducted another immigrant from this community. Those responding would not call what they did a violation, rather they would call what they did their obligation to practice solidarity with immigrants targeted by ICE and to either disrupt or reduce that harm that ICE had committed and the profiting of the GEO Group, which has a contract with ICE to run the detention center in Baldwin.
Towards the end of the initial response from Chief Trigg he says that the GRPD asked them to leave and they left. This is also not true, as you can see from the picture above and the video linked here from Tuesday that the GRPD forcibly removed people, and at one point knock a BIPOC person over who was injured in the process.
Chief Trigg also claims that in his 25 years with the Grand Rapids Police Department he has never seen an ICE agent. I call bullshit on this one, as ICE has had multiple offices in Grand Rapids since 2003. There is no way he can claim to not have seen as ICE agent since 2003 in Grand Rapids, especially since the GRPD has had an ICE liaison for the past two decades.
When questioned about ICE in Grand Rapids Chief Trigg chooses to redirect attention away from the question of GRPD cooperation with ICE and talk about how “Grand Rapids has enough issues of its own.”
The questioner then asked if the GRPD would sign a statement saying that they will not cooperate with ICE. Trigg responds by saying, “we are not collaborating with them (ICE)”, which he says twice. Chief Trigg then continues to talk but completely avoids addressing the issue of GRPD collaboration with ICE, such as the incident with GRPD direct involvement in the ICE abduction of Byron Martinez earlier this year.
On Friday morning there is a trial for 4 defendants who non-violently stood in the Kent County Sheriff’s Office on January 5th to demand an end to ICE holds at the Kent County Jail.
The 4 defendants had jury selection on Wednesday and will now have a Jury Trial on Friday morning beginning at 8:30am at the Kent County Courthouse on the 8th floor in courtroom 8D.
The 4 defendants participated in this action in conjunction with Movimiento Cosecha and their campaign to get Kent County to adopt six sanctuary policies, a campaign which began in early 2025. In addition, the defendants were responding to what they and Cosecha has been hearing for the past two years, which is that immigrants were being held at the Kent County Jail for ICE, then being transported to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan.
What immigrant families had been sharing with Cosecha about ICE holds at the Kent County Jail was recently confirmed with a 2 page document obtained by FOIA that revealed the Kent County Sheriff had signed an agreement that they would engage in detainers for ICE upon request. This documented was signed by the Kent County Sheriff on March 5th of 2025.
Under the heading of Policy the document states:
The Kent County Sheriff’s Office is committed to upholding all applicable Local, State, and Federal laws regarding immigration enforcement. KCSO works closely with Immigration Enforcement and Removal officials to ensure compliance with these guidelines while maintaining the safety, security, and rights of all individuals in our custody. All interactions with immigration authorities will be conducted in accordance with legal requirements, department policies, and established procedures to ensure transparency, accountability, and due process.
In a recent Press Release put out by Movimiento Cosecha it states: “We always take seriously what the immigrant community tells us, but we wanted confirmation from the Sheriff’s Office,” said Gema Lowe, an organizer with Movimiento Cosecha GR.
Movimiento Cosecha GR has also called on the Kent County Commission to adopt six sanctuary policy demands. According to organizers, county officials have declined to do so, stating that immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility rather than a county matter.
“It seems clear to us that Kent County is working directly with ICE, which is why we want the county to adopt the sanctuary policies, reducing the harm ICE is inflicting on immigrant families in Kent County,” said Lowe.
Make no mistake about it, the harm that ICE is inflicting is real in Kent County and has increased in recent months. The Grand Rapids ICE office was given increased funding earlier this year and activists have witnessed increased activity, with immigrants being abducted almost daily in the Grand Rapids area.
Just 10 days ago ICE agents abducted someone who was at their ISAP office appointment at 545 Michigan NE in Grand Rapids.
On Tuesday another immigrant neighbor was abducted by ICE and members of GR Rapid Response to ICE followed the ICE agents to the 517 Ottawa ICE Office. ICE called the GRPD and when the GEO Group van was exiting the ICE office garage GRPD cops forcibly removed people who were attempting to prevent the GEO Group van from taking the ICE abducted immigrant to their detention center in Baldwin, Michigan.
Those on trial, besides leveraging their privilege to stand in solidarity with immigrants are also using the trial to amplify the realities of what ICE is doing in Grand Rapids and Kent County. If you are able to attend the trial and support people here are details for Court Solidarity.
GRPD once again demonstrates their commitment to assisting ICE and those profiting from ICE abductions in Grand Rapids
On Tuesday, around midday, GR Rapid Response to ICE showed up to the 517 Ottawa ICE office. This was because they received a call about ICE abductions and the 517 Ottawa office is where ICE takes people to process while they are locked up in a holding cell ICE has on site.
Movimiento Cosecha was also on site and filmed part of what happened. Here is the video link. The first thing you see in the video is a white van pulling out of the ICE office garage and the white van is a GEO Group-owned vehicle to transport immigrants picked up by ICE to the North Lake Processing Center in Baldwin, Michigan, which is owned and operated by the GEO Group.
People who have been trained through GR Rapid Response to ICE stood in front of the GEO Group van, since they were transporting someone ICE had abducted. You can GRPD cops on the scene about 1 minute into the video, which means ICE likely contacted the GRPD to assist them, in this case to prevent people from blocking the GEO Group van.
This is just the latest example of how the GRPD has been consistently cooperating with ICE and in this case the GEO Group, which profits from the detention of immigrants that ICE abducts from our community.
The fact that the GRPD assisted ICE/GEO Group by preventing people from trying to stop immigrant family separation completely contradicts what Mayor LaGrand and the GRPD Chief of Police have been saying since January of 2025 when Movimiento Cosecha began their campaign to get the City of Grand Rapids to adopt six sanctuary policies. In fact, from where I sit, this recent GRPD collaboration with ICE/GEO Group signifies to me that Mayor LaGrand and the GRPD Chief have been lying to Cosecha, GR Rapid Response to ICE and the community at large.
At about 1:40 into the video you can see the number of ICE agents present while they stood inside the 517 Ottawa ICE office garage to watch the GRPD assist the GEO Group van make a get away. The harsh reality is that this is happening on a regular basis in Grand Rapids. The sad thing about this is that people would rather spend their energy campaigning for politicians than actively resist ICE from abducting immigrants in this city.
Follow the Money: Campaign Contributions from members of the Grand Rapid Power Structure during the 2026 Election cycle
If you read the GRIID blog on a regular basis you know that I write about the Grand Rapids Power Structure on a fairly regular basis. Hell, I even do a GR Power Analysis workshop that organizations can have me do.
My GR Power Analysis workshop covers numerous aspects of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, which includes looking at their wealth/assets, their involvement with organizations that have similar ideological interests, how they use their foundation funds, how they tend to embrace deeply conservative religious beliefs, their interest in shaping social and economic realities, how they infiltrate and use non-profits, and how they use their wealth to influence elections. For this post I want to focus on how the members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure use their wealth to influence elections.
I am limiting the scope to just Michigan in terms of how the GR Power Structure uses their wealth to influence elections. Using data from https://www.transparencyusa.org/mi/contributors, which includes data on the 2026 election cycle through 3/31/2026, here are the names and the dollar amounts that members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure have contributed so far.
- Daniel DeVos – $2,962,075
- Pamella DeVos – $2,508,325
- JC Huizenga – $748,300
- John Kennedy III – $421,275
- Maria and Doug DeVos – $287,500
- Suzanne Cheryl DeVos – $287,500
- Michael Jandernoa – $271,075
- Daniel Hibma – $264,850
- Richard Haworth – $255,950
- Hendrik Meijer – $250,000
- Matthew Haworth – $249,950
- Nancy Kennedy – $203,825
- Richard M DeVos Sr. – $173,875
- Ethel Haworth – $157,400
- Mark Meijer – $144,000
- Betsy DeVos – $125,000
- Jennifer Haworth – $106,075
- Sidney Jansma III – $88,825
The 18 listings here are not only members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure, but they are all in the top 100 largest contributors in the 2026 election cycle in Michigan. Their contributions collectively are roughly $8.5 million as of 3/31/2026. $8.5 million is a huge amount of influence, which is just one of the ways they use their money to protect and expand their wealth.
Follow the Money: Campaign Contributions and Endorsements from the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce
The Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce has a long history of endorsing and providing campaign contributions to candidates in the greater Grand Rapids area.
Endorsements from the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce have also involved non-partisan political races, such as Grand Rapids Mayor and Grand Rapids City Commission Candidates. For example, in 2022 the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce gave 1st Ward Candidate Andrew Robbins $10,500.
In the 2024 Election here is a list of candidates that received campaign contributions from the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. All of the candidates listed here won their election, except for Dean Pacific and Tommy Brann.
- Dean Pacific: 1st Ward Grand Rapids City Commission – $7075.00
- Tommy Brann: 83rd District State Representative – $2500.00
- Richard Williamson: GRPS Board of Education – $1000.00
- David LaGrand: Mayor of Grand Rapids – $1000.00
- Aric Nesbitt: 20th District State Senate – $1,000.00
- Arick Davis: GRPS Board of Education – $1000.00
- House Republican Campaign Committee – $1000.00
- Posthumus Majority Fund – $500.00
- Carol Glanville: 84th State Representative – $250.00
- Dan Burrill: 8th District Kent County Commission – $250.00
In a recent GR Chamber online post they listed candidates whom they are endorsing for the 2026 Election:
MICHIGAN HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:
- District 44: Steve Frisbie (R)
- District 81: Stephen Wooden (D)
- District 83: John Fitzgerald (D)
- District 84: Drew Robbins (R)
- District 85: Bradley Slagh (R)
- District 86: Nancy DeBoer (R)
- District 87: Will Snyder (D)
- District 88: Greg VanWoerkom (R)
- District 90: Lynn Afendoulis (R)
- District 91: Pat Outman (R)
- District 101: Jaxon Deur (R)
- District 102: Curt VanderWall (R)
MICHIGAN STATE SENATE
- District 18: Thomas Albert (R)
- District 20: Chris Moraitis (R)
- District 30: Mark Huizenga (R)
- District 32: Kim Cole (R)
- District 33: Gina Johnsen (R) & Katie DeBoer (R)
U.S. HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
- District 2: John Moolenaar (R)
- District 4: Bill Huizenga (R)
Now, most of the candidates listed here are Republican candidates. However, there are three Democrats that are being endorsed by the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce, which begs the question – Why would Democrats take money from a PAC that specifically works to expand the wealth of the Capitalist Class?
Now, as with all political contributions there is never one simple answer. One reason why the GR Chamber of Commerce might chose to give to Democrats is because the district they are running for almost always is won by a Democrat, so why not give money to gain greater access to a political candidate. Others might say it is mostly about access, since candidates that are elected will more likely give individuals or entities more time to talk than they would regular folk.
However, there is a third reason, which is that most elected Democrats also have a deep commitment to the economic system of capitalism and defending business interests. All one has to do is look at how Democratic politicians have collaborated and cooperated with business interests, especially since the Democrats have fully embraced Neo-Liberal economic policies, most definitely since the Clinton Administration.
Lastly, I believe it is important for people to push back on any candidate, but especially Democrats that take money from the likes of the Grand Rapids Chamber of Commerce. More and more groups across the US are saying that they will not endorse or vote for candidates that take money from PACs that are specifically designed to expand the wealth of the Capitalist Class.
In Part I the focus was on how the Grand Rapids Power Structure provided roughly $100,000 in campaign finances to Kent County Sheriff Michelle LaJoye-Young. The Sheriff wasn’t even being challenged in her bid to win re-election in 2024, but those with the most political and economic power in Kent County want to make sure that the Kent County Sheriff would protect their interests, which includes the Kent County Sheriff’s Office cooperation with ICE, specifically by engaging in ICE detainers at the Kent County Jail.
In today’s post I want to focus on Kent County Commissioners that are receiving campaign contributions from the Grand Rapids Power Structure.
The decisions regarding cooperation with ICE in Kent County not only comes from the Sheriff’s Office, but other Kent County officials, like the Kent County Commission.
The GR Power Structure and Kent County Commissioners
Like the Kent County Sheriff, many of the Kent County Commissioners have been bought and paid for by members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure. What follows is a list of Kent County Commissioners that have received campaign funds from members of the Grand Rapids Power Structure during the 2024 election.
Kent County Board Chair Ben Greene
- Doug DeVos – $1,225
- Dick DeVos – $1,225
- Daniel DeVos – $1,225
Commissioner Elizabeth Morse
- Maintain Our Majority (Charlie Secchia) – $4,000
- Friends of West Michigan Business PAC ( GR Chamber of Commerce) – $500
Commissioner Jennifer Merchant
- Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $500
Commissioner Dave Hildenbrand
- Dan DeVos $1225
- Doug DeVos $1225
- Richard DeVos $1225
- Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $500
Commissioner Stan Stek
- Grand Rapids Chamber PAC $7000
- Betsy DeVos $1225
- Daniel DeVos $1225
- Doug DeVos $1225
- Maria DeVos $1225
Commissioner Stan Ponstein
- Maintain Our Majority PAC (Charlie Secchia) – $5000
- TGIF Victory Fund (Dan Hibma) – $2,500
- Kent County Republican Committee – $1000
Commissioner Dan Burrill
- TGIF Victory Fund (Dan Hibma) – $12,250
- The Friends of West Michigan Business PAC – $7000
- Mark Bissell -$1225
- Betsy DeVos – $1225
Commissioner Robin Halsted
- Maintain Our Majority (Charlie Secchia) – $10,000
- John/Nancy Kennedy – $2450
- Grand Rapids Chamber PAC – $2000
- Mark/Mary Bissell – $1225
- Betsy DeVos – $1225
Commissioner Lindsey Thiel
- TGIF Victory Fund – $12,250
- Maintain Our Majority PAC (Charlie Secchia) – $10,000
- Sidney Jansma Jr – $2450
- Grand Rapids Chamber PAC- $1500
- Mark Bissell – $1225
In exchange for the thousands of campaign contributions to the above Kent County Commissioners the Grand Rapids Power Structure expects the Kent County Commission to vote in their interests. For example, in 2024, the Kent County Commission voted nearly unanimous to put the Hotel Tax on the August Primary Ballot, which would provide even more funding for the Amphitheater and other entertainment venues. The GR Power Structure spent nearly half a million dollars to convince voters to adopt this ballot initiative.
Then there is the matter of funding the Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the Kent County Jail, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kent County Courts. Last year, the Kent County Commission voted 16 – 4 in favor of the FY2026 budget, which was $668 million. 43% of the county’s budget – just over $300 million – goes towards Kent County Sheriff’s Office, the Kent County Jail, the Kent County Prosecutor’s Office and the Kent County Courts. Abolitionists like Angela Davis have been referring to this system as the Prison Industrial Complex.
What is instructive is that all 9 of the Democratic members of the Kent County Commission voted for the $668 million FY2026 Annual Budget, while 7 Republican members of the County Commission also voted for the budget. Four Republican Kent County members voted no, but not because too much money was allocated towards the Prison Industrial Complex in Kent County. The four dissenting Republican members (Merchant, DeBoer, Burrill, and Bujak) voted no because they think the Kent County government is too big and their constituents are over taxed.
Despite some GOP member opposition, the majority of the Kent County Commissioners voted for the massive amount of funds that go towards the Prison Industrial Complex in Kent County – the Sheriff’s Department, the jail, the court system and the prosecuting attorney’s office. Voting for the Prison Industrial Complex in Kent County means they voted for the arrest and jailing of a disproportionate number of BIPOC residents and residents who live in poverty.
This also clearly demonstrates how the Kent County Commission annual approval of the county’s budget supports ICE, since the Sheriff’s Office, the Kent County Jail, the Prosecutor’s Office and the Kent County Courts all have a hand in cooperating with ICE and at the very least are complicit with ICE violence by doing and saying nothing to end immigrant family separation in Kent County. This is what the Grand Rapids Power Structure is paying for when they contribute campaign dollars to Kent County elected officials.
Grand Rapids Institute for Information Democracy 