20-year-old Haitian man dies by apparent suicide after losing TPS

Pierre Damas Bel, a recent high school honors graduate and freshman at Wright State University, died Monday after stepping into traffic on Interstate 70 near Springfield, Ohio.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Bel pulled his vehicle onto the shoulder, got out and entered the westbound lanes, where he was struck by a tractor-trailer. He died at the scene. Authorities said the circumstances surrounding his death remain under investigation.

Family Links Death to Immigration Status

Bel's family believes the stress surrounding his immigration status played a significant role in his death.

Bel had been granted Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, which provided protection from deportation for eligible Haitians living in the United States. The federal government ended those protections for hundreds of thousands of Haitians in late July.

On July 29, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement placed Bel on an electronic GPS monitor while his immigration proceedings continued.

His father said the monitor left his son feeling embarrassed and humiliated. Bel himself wrote on Instagram that he had come to the United States to pursue his education and described carrying the GPS device as a source of "shame and humiliation."

A Young Man With Big Plans

Those who knew Bel describe him as a talented student, athlete and community member with ambitious plans for his future.

He arrived in the United States from Haiti in 2024 to reunite with his parents. He graduated from Springfield High School this year with honors and was involved in varsity soccer, the National Honor Society and the Marine Corps Junior ROTC program.

Bel had recently begun studying at Wright State University and was pursuing an education that he hoped would eventually lead to a career in medicine.

"He was just a joyful, very smart young man who wanted to be a doctor," Dr. Carl Ruby, senior pastor of Central Christian Church in Springfield, told NPR. Ruby had been supporting Bel's family following his death.

Pastor Speaks About His Family's Grief

Ruby said Bel's family is devastated by the loss and believes the young man had become increasingly fearful about being forced to return to Haiti.

"He was terrified of going back to Haiti," Ruby told NPR, describing Bel as someone who had never posed a threat and had been building a future in the United States.

Bel's death has also prompted vigils and renewed concern among Haitian immigrants and advocates who say the end of TPS has created widespread fear and uncertainty.

Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami described Bel's death as "a death of despair," connecting it to the broader anxiety surrounding the loss of TPS protections.

ICE Rejects Responsibility

ICE confirmed that Bel was placed on an ankle monitor but rejected claims that the agency was responsible for his death.

The agency said Bel remained in immigration proceedings and argued that people facing removal have the option of voluntarily leaving the United States through a government program.

Federal officials have also said they will not speculate about the cause of Bel's death while the investigation remains pending.

For Bel's family and the Springfield community, however, the tragedy has become a deeply personal example of the fear and uncertainty many Haitian immigrants say they are experiencing.

A young man who had only recently started college and was working toward a career in medicine is now being remembered for the future he never got to live.

Source: CBS News