Haitian Honors Student Kills Self After ICE Ankle Monitor Bullying At Wright State University 

By Staff Writer, NewsAmericas Now

News Americas, NEW YORK, NY, Weds. Sept. 2, 2026: A 20-year-old Haitian honors student who had just begun his first semester at Wright State University has died by suicide, his family says, after classmates taunted him over an ICE ankle monitor he was required to wear following the Supreme Court’s decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Haitians.

Pierre Damas Bel, an honors graduate of Springfield High School in Ohio and a former JROTC member who emigrated from Haiti in 2024, had planned to study neuroscience, play soccer, and eventually attend medical school, according to reporting by Capital B. He had celebrated the milestone on Instagram before classes began, according to the outlet.

In the weeks before starting college, Bel was fitted with a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ankle monitor tied to his immigration status. In a July Instagram post cited by Capital B, Bel wrote that he had come to the country to pursue his education, not to commit a crime, and described carrying a feeling of shame and humiliation he never imagined experiencing.

According to Capital B, family members and immigrant-rights advocates say Wright State students taunted Bel about the monitor during his first days on campus. On Monday morning, his father, Pierre Ronal Bel, said in a handwritten statement that his son called home saying he wasn’t feeling okay mentally because of the bullying, and that he told him to come home so they could talk.

Hours later, police arrived at the family’s door to report that Bel had entered westbound traffic on Interstate 70 and was struck by a tractor-trailer. His family says he died by suicide.

ANKLE MONITOR

Bel’s ankle monitor came after the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way in June for the Trump administration to end Temporary Protected Status for more than 350,000 Haitians, a status that had allowed recipients to legally live and work in the country while conditions in Haiti remained in crisis. Since June, according to Capital B, the administration has directly called for Haitian immigrants to be equipped with ankle monitors and has resumed deportation flights to Haiti.

Springfield is home to an estimated 12,000 to 15,000 Haitian residents, many of whom fled political violence and economic collapse in Haiti. The city drew national attention in 2024 after false claims that Haitian residents were eating pets spread online and were amplified by then-vice presidential candidate JD Vance, contributing to heightened harassment and suspicion toward the community since.

Guerline Jozef, executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance in Ohio, said in a statement reported by Capital B that Bel’s death was among the most tragic outcomes of the administration’s policies toward the Haitian community, and that the administration bears full responsibility for a young man who told his father he could no longer bear the stigma of the monitor.

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine, a Republican, called Bel’s death a “horrible, horrible tragedy” and described the decision to end TPS for Springfield’s Haitian residents as “misguided and wrong,” according to Capital B.

Community members gathered at the Bel family’s home Monday evening to offer support, and residents across Springfield have mobilized to stand with their Haitian neighbors and call on ICE to halt intensified enforcement actions targeting the community.

WRIGHT REACTS

Wright State President Sue Wright expressed her condolences in a statement on Tuesday: “We are heartbroken by this devastating loss. Pierre was an active honors student who was passionate about soccer and was already actively engaged in his classes and the campus community. The University mourns the death of Pierre and extends our deepest condolences to his family, friends and loved ones during this unimaginably difficult time.”

The school added in the statement that counseling and support services are available to students, faculty and staff. WSU said later Tuesday that it “has no confirmed information regarding complaints or investigations into bullying related to the student.”

Before attending Wright State, Bel was recruited by Wittenberg University. The Wittenberg University Men’s Soccer Team posted the following statement on Facebook. “It is with deepest sadness that we announce the loss of one of our own, Pierre Damas Bel, a freshman recruit from Springfield, who tragically passed away earlier today in a traffic accident. Tagged with an ankle monitor by ICE just days before preseason training began, Pierre was no longer able to play. So he chose to pursue his academic goals at near by Wright State. May he rest in peace.”

A vigil has been planned to remember Bel for today, Sept. 2nd, at 6 p.m. at Columbus City Hall.

DHS REACTS

US DHS released this statement: “ICE can confirm that Ohio State Highway Patrol notified the agency on August 31 regarding the death of Pierre Damas Bel, a non-detained illegal alien from Haiti. The circumstances of his death remain under investigation by OSHP. ICE does not comment on the cause of death while that investigation is pending, and we will not speculate about unverified claims regarding other individuals.

“On March 5, 2024, Bel applied for admission into the United States at the Gateway Port of Entry via CBP One appointment, and he was released into the country by the Biden administration. On July 29, 2026, ICE placed him on alternatives to detention program with an ankle monitor while he continued in his immigration proceedings.

“No one is required to stay in the United States illegally and wear a monitor. Illegal aliens have a lawful, voluntary option: they can self-deport through the CBP Home app. Eligible participants receive a government-arranged flight home, a $2,600 exit bonus after departure is confirmed, and forgiveness of civil failure-to-depart fines. Remaining in the country illegally, while fighting removal, is a choice. Leaving with a free flight home and $2,600 is also a choice. ICE will continue to use detention or alternatives to detention as needed those illegal aliens who stay in violation of the law.”

NewsAmericasNow will continue following developments affecting Haitian TPS holders in Springfield and across the country. Reporting from Capital B contributed to this story.