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Bel’s death after TPS loss
Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian immigrant in Springfield, Ohio, died Monday after he parked his car on the shoulder of Interstate 70 and walked into westbound traffic, where he was struck by a tractor-trailer and pronounced dead at the scene.
“Pierre Damas Bel parked his car on the shoulder of Interstate 70 in Springfield, Ohio, before walking into westbound traffic”
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said troopers were called at 8:45 a.m. to mile marker 66 of I-70 westbound, and ICE said Bel was placed on an alternatives to detention program with an ankle monitor on July 29 while he continued his immigration proceedings.
Bel’s family and advocates said his distress followed the loss of Temporary Protected Status after the Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with ending the protections on July 27, and ABC News reported he had been fitted with a GPS ankle monitor by the Department of Homeland Security.
The Washington Post described Bel as having grown increasingly distraught after losing his protection from deportation and being outfitted with an ankle monitor, and it said his family believes he was killed in what they believe was a suicide.
Bullying, monitoring, and blame
Bel’s father, Pierre Ronal Bel, said in a statement released through advocacy group G92 that his son called him at 8:03 on a video call and told him, "I’m not feeling OK mentally because of the bullying," and that police later showed up to report that his son had thrown himself under a truck.
Pastor Carl Ruby said the family wanted people to know it was a suicide related to immigration policies, and he told ABC News, "We do not want to politicize this, but this is a political problem, and the only solution is a political solution."
Guerline Jozef of the Haitian Bridge Alliance told ABC News, "This is our worst fear and nightmare come true," and she said Bel was afraid of being deported to Haiti.
ICE declined to comment on the cause of death while an investigation is pending, and a DHS spokesperson told ABC News the agency would "not comment on the cause of death while that investigation is pending" and would not speculate about unverified claims.
What happens next in Ohio
Wright State University said it was offering counseling and support services to students, faculty and staff after Bel’s death, and it said the university was "heartbroken by this devastating loss" in a statement read by Sue Edwards.
“"We are heartbroken by this devastating loss."”
Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine called Bel’s death a "horrible, horrible tragedy" and questioned whether ending TPS and requiring ankle monitors was what people want, saying, "Do we want that being done in our name?"
The Ohio State Highway Patrol is investigating the crash and has not publicly classified Bel’s death as a suicide, while ICE said it will not comment on the cause of death while the investigation is pending.
In Springfield, community advocates said Bel’s death reflects the stress many immigrants are experiencing as they face possible detention and deportation, and Jozef told The Washington Post that "These policies are what caused his untimely death."