Wright State Student Dies After ICE Ankle Monitor Placed on September 1

Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian student at Wright State University, stepped into traffic on Interstate 70 near Springfield, Ohio on August 31 and was struck by a semi-truck. His family says he died by suicide after being fitted with an ankle monitor by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in July, following the expiration of Temporary Protected Status for Haiti. The Supreme Court ruled on June 25 that the Trump administration could end TPS for nearly 350,000 Haitians and Syrians.

How the ankle monitor came to be placed

Bel arrived in the United States in 2024 using the now-defunct CBP One app and was released into the country. He settled in Springfield with his parents and two brothers. On July 29, after Temporary Protected Status for Haiti ended on July 27, ICE placed Bel in an “alternatives to detention program” requiring him to wear an electronic ankle monitor while his immigration proceedings continued. His family said he felt humiliated by the device and reported being bullied at Wright State University because of it.

The Supreme Court decision that stripped TPS status

On June 25, 2026, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration could move forward with ending Temporary Protected Status for Haitians and Syrians. The Department of Homeland Security announced the termination effective July 27, 2026. According to Congressman Hakeem Jeffries, the decision stripped legal status from nearly 350,000 current Haitian and Syrian TPS holders. Individuals who lost TPS lost protection from deportation and work authorization, though some alternative legal pathways may exist.

Bel’s academic promise before the monitor

Bel excelled academically and athletically before July. He graduated from Springfield High School in May as a JROTC member and honor roll student, and was recruited to play soccer at Wittenberg University. In May, the Springfield City School District featured him in a Facebook post as a recipient of a local scholarship worth $2,500. He enrolled at Wright State in August to study neuroscience and hoped to attend medical school. His family said he called his father for help around 8 a.m. on August 31, saying he was struggling mentally because of bullying and the ankle monitor.

Calls for policy change from state and federal leaders

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine criticized federal immigration policies following Bel’s death, saying on September 1 that he considered mass deportation “a very misguided and wrong policy.” Congressman Jeffries noted that individuals who lost TPS face loss of work authorization and deportation risk. Pastor Carl Ruby, an immigration advocate, said Bel’s family wanted people to know the death was a suicide related to immigration policies. G92, a faith-based organization supporting Springfield’s Haitian community, called for an end to ICE’s ankle monitoring program.

Final Thoughts

Bel’s death exposes the human cost of ending TPS for 350,000 Haitians. His case has prompted state and federal officials to question the enforcement methods used during immigration status transitions.

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