Haitian student in Ohio dies by suicide after bullying over ICE ankle monitor

Haitian student from Ohio apparently ended his life over his humiliation for ankle monitor.

20-year-old Pierre Damas Bel in Ohio got out of his car and stepped into the traffic on Ohio State Highway after a brief conversation with his father. The freshman student at Wright State University told his father that he was not OK because he was being bullied, as he had an ankle monitor issued by ICE in July. The Haitian family came to the US legally in 2024 under the Temporary Protected Status which has now been removed, with thousands of Haitians navigating the same misery. Pierre Damas Bel was an avid soccer player, but he was not able to play soccer and did not even get a new ROTC uniform, for which he was being bullied. On Monday, his father, Pierre Ronal Bel got a video call from his distressed son. He asked him to come home. But instead, cops showed up at his door and informed him that Damas had thrown himself under a truck and was killed. Family members said it was a suicide, while the investigation remains open. ICE said the family applied for admission in Texas in March 2024 and the Biden administration released them inside the country. ICE did not take the blame of the suicide on their oppression. “ICE does not comment on the cause of death while that investigation is pending, and we will not speculate about unverified claims regarding other individuals,” a spokesperson said adding that undocumented people always have the chance to self-deport. “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 issued a statement in which they said: “The safety and well-being of our students is the highest priority, and we remain dedicated to providing a campus community where every student feels safe, supported, included and welcomed".

'I came here to pursue my education'

In recent social media posts, Bel described his frustration with the ankle monitor. “I came to this country to pursue my education. I didn’t come here to commit a crime or hurt anyone. Yet now I’m walking through the streets of the United States with a GPS monitor on my leg, carrying a feeling of shame and humiliation that I never imagined I would experience,” he wrote in a July 30 Instagram post. “I came here to study, to build my future, and to live a better (life) not to be treated like criminal. So now, how am I supposed play college sports with a GPS monitor on my leg?”This article mentions suicide. If you feel you are in crisis, call or text 988

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