Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old student who emigrated from Haiti in 2024, died by suicide on Monday, August 31, 2026, according to his family and the Ohio Highway Patrol. His father, Pierre Ronal Bel, stated that the death was driven by feelings of despair and humiliation after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) fitted his son with a GPS ankle monitor earlier this summer. The Ohio Highway Patrol reported that Bel walked into oncoming traffic on Interstate 70 outside of Springfield and was struck by a tractor-trailer; the agency noted the death remains under investigation.
Bel was a recipient of Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a program that allows migrants from designated countries in crisis to live and work legally in the U.S. Following a Supreme Court ruling in June, the federal government terminated these protections for more than 300,000 Haitians, making them eligible for detention or deportation. ICE began outfitting Haitian immigrants with ankle monitors as part of their ongoing immigration proceedings after the rollback of these protections.
In a statement, ICE rejected any attempt to blame the agency for the death, stating that individuals in the U.S. illegally have the voluntary option to self-deport through a government app. The agency confirmed Bel entered the U.S. in 2024 through the CBP One smartphone app but was fitted with a monitor on July 29 as his proceedings continued. Bel's father said his son had asked ICE to remove the device because he felt "humiliated" wearing it in front of college classmates at Wright State University, where he was a first-year neuroscience student.
A person in this position would notice the loss of legal employment rights and the requirement to wear a tracking device, which Bel’s family reported led to social stigma and bullying on campus. Advocates from the Haitian Bridge Alliance stated that Black migrants, including Haitians, are disproportionately affected by detention and deportation proceedings. While ICE noted that individuals can choose to leave the U.S. via a government-arranged flight and a $3,000 check, those who remain without status face heightened public suspicion and potential arrest.
The event has prompted local calls for ICE to halt intensified enforcement actions in Springfield. Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, characterized the ending of TPS for Springfield’s Haitian residents as "misguided and wrong," while community leaders have mobilized to support affected families. Future policy may be influenced by these local responses and ongoing legal challenges regarding the termination of TPS for various nationalities. For now, the investigation into Bel's death continues as other former TPS recipients navigate the requirement for electronic monitoring.