Springfield Haitian student takes his own life after being fitted with ICE ankle monitor, advocates say | Local
A man wears an ankle monitor after checking in at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in Blue Ash on Aug. 9. Haitians living in southwest Ohio, and largely in Springfield, were sent letters requiring them to be at the office after the temporary protected status for Haiti was terminated in late July by the Trump administration. Those who checked in were fitted with ankle monitors. Many have complained about the effects of the monitors on their lives and jobs. Nick Graham / Staff
A 20-year-old Wright State student took his own life on Interstate 70 out of anguish over a required ICE ankle monitor, according to local community advocates.
Pierre Damas Bel was a new student at Wright State University. He was fitted with an ankle monitor in July.
Pastor Carl Ruby of Central Christian Church wrote on social media that Bel threw himself in front of a semi “after being teased by fellow students at Wright State about his ankle monitor.”
“I wish President Trump could hear the mom’s wails. The family wants people to know that this was a suicide and they want people to know that President Trump, (Stephen) Miller, and Markwayne Mullin’s inhumane immigration policies made this happen,” Ruby wrote.
ICE agents took a man into custody at the Springfield Police Division headquarters on Monday, August 31, 2026.
According to the Ohio State Highway Patrol Springfield Post, troopers were called at 8:45 a.m. Monday, Aug. 31, to mile marker 66 of I-70 westbound. OSHP found that Bel had parked his 2006 Toyota Avalon on the right shoulder before getting out of the car and walking into the westbound lanes, according to a release.
He was struck by a 2001 Kenworth tractor-trailer tanker combination and pronounced dead at the scene.
On July 30, Bel posted a 20-photo Instagram carousel highlighting his awards, diploma, plans to study neuroscience at Wright State University, soccer team, and the electronic monitor around his ankle.
“I came to this country to pursue my education. I didn’t come here to commit a crime or hurt anyone,” he captioned the post. “Yet now I’m walking through the streets of the United States with a GPS monitor on my leg, carrying a feeling of shame and humiliation that I never imagined I would experience. I came here to study, to build my future and to live a better [life,] not to be treated like a criminal. So now, how am I supposed to play college sports with a GPS monitor on my leg?”
Faith leaders, immigration advocates, Haitian residents and supporters gathered in the hundreds outside Springfield City Hall for “Unshackle Springfield,” an interfaith potluck and public witness focused on the effects of federal immigration enforcement on the city’s Haitian community.
Bel was a varsity soccer player for Springfield City School District, where he graduated in May. He was on the National Honor Society and a member of the Marine Corps Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.
Bel posted outfit photos of his first day of classes at Wright State on Aug. 24.
In his Instagram bio, Bel wrote he was studying both physiology and neuroscience in preparation for medical school.
The semi truck driver called 911, telling the dispatcher a man “got out of his car and jumped right out in front of my semi.” The driver said the man was “under my truck.”
“He jumped right out in front of me. Oh my God; I killed him,” the driver said.
Multiple other people called 911, including a driver who was on the opposite side of the highway. He said he saw a man fling open the door to his car before jumping in front of the semi.
Hundreds of local Haitians have been outfitted with ankle monitors either at appointments at ICE’s Blue Ash office near Cincinnati or after being detained and released, according to advocates. Many have complained of pain, swelling, blisters or the monitors interfering with their ability to work.
A Haitian student from Springfield, Pierre Damas Bel, died Monday, Aug. 31. Bel had begun his first semester at Wright State University. He planned to study neuroscience and eventually go to medical school. Facebook / Wittenberg University Men’s Soccer
At the Haitian Community Help and Support Center Monday, Aug. 31, numerous people shared with volunteers that the monitors had negatively affected their lives. Many said they felt embarrassed at work, and one man told this newspaper despite his promotion to a management position at work, he feels his co-workers do not respect his authority and question whether he did something wrong, due to the ankle monitor.
Bel had a highlight reel titled “Ice” on his Instagram page, where he posted six different letters coworkers, a captain from the JROTC and teachers wrote to an immigration judge in support of his character and potential.
“It is my sincere hope that Mr. Bel has the opportunity to see his plans come to fruition, much as all young men and women his age should have the opportunity to do,” the teacher wrote. “I have no doubt that given the opportunity, he will only continue to deepen and broaden not only in his personal growth, but also in his dedication to the city, state and country that he has chosen to make his home.”
Bel was one of dozens of Springfield Haitians who had been fitted with ankle monitors or detained by ICE after their temporary protected status officially expired in late July.
DHS did not return a request for comment in time for publication.
If you or someone you know needs to talk about thoughts of suicide or needs support, call or text the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline anytime, 24/7, or visit 988Lifeline.org. This is an in-state network of 988 contact centers that provide coverage to all 88 counties.
SPRINGFIELD NEWS-SUN COVERAGE
ICE targets Haitian community in Springfield
Following the termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants, ICE has ramped up enforcement efforts targeting the Haitian community in Springfield.
Here are some highlights of our reporting on this issue.