A 20-year-old Haitian immigrant has died after walking into traffic on Interstate 70 in Springfield, Ohio, shortly after losing temporary protected status and being placed under electronic monitoring by US immigration authorities.
The victim, Pierre Damas Bel, was struck by a tractor-trailer and pronounced dead at the scene, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol. His family believes he died by suicide, saying he had become increasingly distressed over his immigration situation and the ankle monitor placed on him by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Bel had arrived in the United States in 2024 to reunite with his parents. He had graduated from high school with honors, was a member of the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps and hoped to study medicine.
His father, Pierres Ronal Bel, said his son felt humiliated by the electronic monitor and believed he was being treated like a criminal.
“He felt like he was treated like an animal,” his father said.
According to his family, the ankle monitor also prevented Bel from playing soccer, while some of his classmates reportedly bullied him because of it. Bel had asked immigration officials to remove the device, but his request was denied.
In an Instagram post in late July, Bel expressed frustration over his situation, saying he had come to the United States to pursue his education and had not committed a crime.
His father said Bel called him on Monday morning and told him he was not feeling well. He asked his son to come over so they could talk, but Bel later entered the highway traffic.
Bel was among an estimated 350,000 Haitians affected by the termination of temporary protected status. He had a pending asylum claim and had been summoned to an ICE office after the US Supreme Court allowed the Trump administration to proceed with ending the protection.
The death has heightened concerns among Springfield’s Haitian community, which is estimated to number around 15,000 people. Community members say increased immigration enforcement has created widespread fear of detention and deportation.
Guerline Jozef of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, a US nonprofit that supports Haitian and other Black immigrants, blamed the administration's immigration policies for Bel’s death.
“These policies are what caused his untimely death,” Jozef said.
The case has renewed debate over the psychological and social impact of aggressive immigration enforcement on migrants facing uncertain legal status and possible deportation.
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