An Ohio college student died in an apparent suicide. His family says he felt ‘humiliated’ by his ICE ankle monitor
An Ohio college student died after ICE ankle monitor
Activelifezero.com – Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian immigrant and incoming neuroscience major at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio, walked into westbound traffic on Interstate 70 after weeks of what his family describes as escalating shame tied to a federal ankle monitor. An Ohio college student died in what authorities are treating as an apparent suicide, and his father says the electronic tracking device imposed by Immigration and Customs Enforcement made his son feel publicly humiliated in front of classmates and ROTC peers.
Bel had arrived on campus with ambitions to study neuroscience and continued playing soccer with his high school teammates in Springfield, Ohio. Those plans collapsed within weeks of the July 29 date on which ICE attached the monitor to his ankle while his immigration case remained unresolved. Teammates stopped inviting him to practice. A new ROTC uniform never reached him. Classmates, his father says, mocked the bracelet.
“He told me, ‘Dad, I felt humiliated … Everyone got uniforms, except for me, because of the bracelet,'” Pierre Ronal Bel recalled.
The final weekend before the tragedy brought two phone calls that his father described as increasingly desperate. On Friday, Bel described a ROTC classroom moment that left him feeling singled out. By Monday morning, he appeared visibly shaken on a video call and told his father that classmates were bullying him over the device.
“He said, ‘Dad, I’m not feeling ok. I’m not thinking right … because of the bullies,’ and I told him, ‘Come home so that we can talk,'” his father said in a written statement.
Shortly after that exchange, Ohio State Highway Patrol says Bel pulled his Toyota Avalon onto the I-70 shoulder and stepped into the westbound lanes. The agency confirmed its investigation remains open. Family members were notified that he had taken his own life.
“Police showed up at my door,” his father said, “to report that my son had thrown himself under a truck.”
Policy context: TPS ended, monitors deployed
Bel’s situation unfolded against a sweeping change in how the federal government treats Haitian nationals. The Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status, a designation that had allowed hundreds of thousands of Haitians to work legally and remain shielded from deportation. Once TPS lapsed, former beneficiaries became subject to new enforcement tools, including the ankle monitors that transmit location data and require periodic check-ins.
Bel had entered the United States at Brownsville, Texas, in March 2024 and was released into the country under the Biden administration while his immigration proceedings continued. ICE attached the monitor on July 29 as part of those ongoing proceedings. Immigrant-rights advocates have used the tragedy to press federal officials to halt the practice of shackling people whose cases are still in process. At a Tuesday news conference in Springfield, Pastor Carl Ruby of the Central Christian Church urged Republican lawmakers to act.
“Pierre died as a result of policy. And it’s our immigration policy that took his life,” Ruby said, calling on lawmakers to “put an end to the shackling program before other people end up taking their lives.”
ICE response and campus reaction
An ICE spokesperson, in a written statement, declined to comment on the cause while the highway-patrol investigation continues and said the agency would not speculate about unverified claims involving other individuals. The spokesperson reiterated the administration’s position that undocumented immigrants should depart voluntarily, pointing to a program offering a free flight home and a $2,600 stipend to those who leave without contesting removal.
“Remaining in the country illegally, while fighting removal, is a choice. Leaving with a free flight home and $2,600 is also a choice,” the spokesperson said. “ICE will continue to use detention or alternatives to detention as needed (for) those illegal aliens who stay in violation of the law.”
Wright State University acknowledged the loss in a Facebook post and said counseling and support services were available to students, faculty, and staff. The statement did not directly address the bullying allegations raised by the family.
Frequently asked questions
What was the ankle monitor and why was it placed on Bel? ICE issued the electronic tracking device on July 29 as part of ongoing immigration proceedings. The monitor transmits location data to federal agents and restricts where the wearer may travel. Bel’s case had been pending since his March 2024 entry at Brownsville, Texas.
What happened to Temporary Protected Status for Haitians? The Trump administration ended TPS, which had permitted hundreds of thousands of Haitian nationals to work legally and avoid deportation. Former beneficiaries became subject to standard immigration enforcement, including electronic monitoring and removal proceedings.
Is the investigation closed? No. Ohio State Highway Patrol confirmed its investigation into the circumstances remains open. The family has stated they were told Bel took his own life.
What support did Wright State offer? The university made counseling and support services available to students, faculty, and staff following the tragedy, according to a statement posted on its Facebook page.
