Ohio Student Was Forced To Wear an ICE Ankle Monitor. Now His Family Is Blaming Federal Policy for His Death
ICE says it will continue using ankle monitors as part of the program.
Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian college student in Ohio, allegedly ended his life after stepping into traffic on Interstate 70 on September 1, 2026. His family is blaming federal immigration policy for his death, specifically the humiliation and shame he felt after being forced to wear an ICE ankle monitor. Bel had called his father around 8 a.m. that morning, distressed and sitting in his car on the side of the highway.
According to NBC News, he told his father he couldn’t handle the emotional weight of the ankle monitor, which he had been wearing since July 29 as part of an “alternatives to detention” program. Hours later, police arrived at his family’s home to report that he had thrown himself under a truck. The Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed his death and said the investigation remains open.
His father, Pierre Ronal Bel, said he was being bullied at school and felt deep humiliation over the device. “I told him to come home so we can talk,” he said. The family and local advocates are calling Bel’s death a suicide directly linked to immigration enforcement policies.
The federal government’s treatment of Haitian immigrants has come under fire
Carl Ruby, a pastor and immigration advocate in Springfield, said Bel’s family wanted the public to know his death was tied to the federal government’s treatment of Haitian immigrants. “This is a political problem, and the only solution is a political solution,” he said. “The only way that this will never be correct is if Republican elected officials join us in demanding better policy.”
Bel arrived in the U.S. in 2024 and applied for admission using the now-defunct CBP One app. He was released into the country and settled in Springfield with his parents and two brothers. Before his death, he was a standout student and athlete. He graduated from Springfield High School on the honor roll, participated in JROTC, and was recruited to play soccer at Wittenberg University.
His goal was to attend medical school after college. In May 2026, the Springfield City School District featured him in a Facebook post highlighting local scholarship recipients. The photo showed him dressed up and smiling as he accepted a $2,500 award. His life took a turn in July when ICE placed him in an alternatives to detention program and fitted him with the monitor.
The device was issued after the Supreme Court ended Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for roughly 300,000 Haitian nationals in June. The policy change triggered widespread fear and confusion in Springfield, where about 12,000 Haitians live.
Bel documented his struggle on Instagram
In a July 30 post, he wrote that he came to the U.S. to study, not to “commit a crime or hurt anyone.” Yet there he was, walking through the streets with a GPS monitor on his leg, feeling a shame he never imagined. “I came here to build my future and to live a better life, not to be treated like a criminal,” he wrote. “So now, how am I supposed to play college sports with a GPS monitor on my leg?”
After losing TPS, Bel was no longer eligible to play soccer for Wittenberg University. He transferred to Wright State University, where his family said he faced taunts and bullying from classmates. “He told me, ‘Dad, I felt humiliated … Everyone got uniforms, except for me, because of the bracelet,’” Pierre Ronal Bel said.
The U.S. Army Cadet Command later clarified that the ankle monitor wasn’t the reason Bel didn’t receive a uniform. Because of his immigration status, he wasn’t eligible to become an ROTC cadet and was taking the class as an elective.
Wright State University released a statement. “Pierre was an active honors student who was passionate about soccer and was already actively engaged in his classes and the campus community,” President Sue Edwards said. The university offered counseling but did not directly address the bullying allegations.
ICE has not commented on the cause of Bel’s death
The agency said it does not speculate on unverified claims and reiterated its stance on undocumented immigrants. “Remaining in the country illegally, while fighting removal, is a choice. Leaving with a free flight home and $2,600 is also a choice,” they said. ICE confirmed it will continue using ankle monitors.
The monitors have become a flashpoint in Springfield, where hundreds of Haitians have been fitted with them. Advocates say the devices are dehumanizing and evoke the painful history of shackles worn during slavery. The day before Bel’s death, demonstrators marched in a protest called “Unshackle Springfield.”
Viles Dorsainvil, co-founder, Haitian Support Center in Springfield, said Bel’s death is believed to be the first suicide in the city tied to immigration enforcement. He said the center has been flooded with families seeking legal help since TPS ended. He estimates that 34 people have been detained in August alone.
‘Pierre Damas Bel was not a criminal, but he was treated as one’
According to CNN, Yola Lamarre, a close friend to Bel, said she had spoken with him multiple times about his struggles. “Pierre shared a lot of depressive thoughts with me after we saw the ankle monitor situation being targeted to Haitians in Springfield,” she said. “Pierre Damas Bel was not a criminal, but he was treated as one.”
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, a Republican, called Bel’s death a “horrible tragedy” and criticized Trump’s immigration policies. “I think we have to ask ourselves: Is this really good? Is it what we want done to people like this being picked up and facing deportation? Do we want that being done in our name?” he told reporters.
Springfield has become a focal point in the immigration debate. During the 2024 presidential election, it was targeted by unfounded rumors about the Haitian community. White supremacist groups and alt-right influencers clashed with local advocates and faith leaders who sought to protect immigrants. Despite this, many Haitian residents thrived, contributing to the city’s economic revival.
(Featured images: @pierre_d_bel_7 on Instagram)
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