Haitian student in Ohio dies after losing TPS in what family believes was suicide

Key Points:

• Pierre Damas Bel, a 20-year-old Haitian-born college student in Ohio, died after walking into oncoming traffic, an incident his family believes was a suicide linked to the loss of his Temporary Protected Status (TPS) amid the Trump administration's termination of Haiti’s TPS designation.
• Bel had been required to wear an ankle monitor following the Supreme Court’s clearance for ending Haiti’s TPS, which subjected many Haitian immigrants, including Bel, to monitoring and potential deportation; his family reported he was distraught and humiliated by the device.
• Ohio Governor Mike DeWine described Bel’s death as a "horrible tragedy" and questioned the morality of immigration policies that lead to such outcomes, while community leaders and family members blamed the administration’s immigration stance for contributing to Bel’s mental distress.
• Bel was a high school graduate and aspiring college athlete who was unable to play soccer at Wittenberg University due to the ankle monitor, and he had spoken publicly about the shame and humiliation he experienced because of it.
• Wright State University, where Bel was set to begin his studies, expressed deep sorrow over his death, highlighting his academic engagement and passion for soccer, while ICE declined to comment on the cause of death pending investigation.