A 20-year-old Wright State University student died by suicide in Springfield, Ohio, following the loss of his temporary protected status and the placement of an immigration tracking device.
Pierre Damas Bel, a Haitian national, stepped into traffic on Interstate 70 on Aug. 31, 2026, and was struck by a tractor-trailer, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Bel was forced to wear a GPS ankle monitor since late July while his immigration proceedings continued under an alternatives to detention program.
His family and advocates said the college student faced severe bullying from peers due to the tracking device.
Bel was recruited to play soccer at Wittenberg University, but the monitor prevented him from participating.
Expressing deep distress, his father, Ronald Bel, shared how the young student struggled under the mandate.
“After my son was outfitted with the ankle monitor, he felt like he was treated like an animal,” Ronald Bel said, WSYX reported.
Emphasizing that the student was not a criminal, community advocate Yola Lamarre highlighted how Bel felt forced to constantly explain his legal presence.
“Pierre Damas Bel was not a criminal, but he was treated as one,” Lamarre said.
Describing the final moments before the tragedy, Ronald Bel recounted receiving a distressing video call from his son.
“He called me at 8:03 on a video call and he said, ‘Dad, I’m not feeling OK. I’m not thinking right because of the bullies. And I told him, ‘Come, come home so that we can talk,’” the father stated, NBC News reported.
Questioning federal policies, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine criticized the enforcement methods.
“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?” DeWine said.
Immigration officials confirmed Bel entered in 2024 via a CBP One appointment but declined to comment on the death while the highway patrol investigates.