A 20-year-old Haitian immigrant who had recently graduated from high school and lost his Temporary Protected Status died by suicide Monday, according to an advocacy group representing his family.
Pierre Damas Bel came to the United States in 2024 to reunite with his parents, who had fled Haiti.
On Monday, Bel stopped his vehicle along Interstate 70 in Springfield, Ohio, got out and entered traffic, according to law enforcement officials cited by local news outlets.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol told ABC News that Bel’s death remains under investigation.
In a statement, the agency said Bel parked his Toyota along the interstate, exited the vehicle and entered the highway’s westbound lanes.
Bel was among more than 350,000 Haitian immigrants who lost Temporary Protected Status after the U.S. Supreme Court in June cleared the way for the Trump administration to terminate the protections. TPS allows eligible immigrants from countries experiencing conditions such as armed conflict or natural disasters to temporarily remain and work in the United States without being deported.
Bel had also recently been fitted with a GPS ankle monitor by the Department of Homeland Security, according to posts on his social media account.
Before his death, Bel had been building a life in Springfield. He played varsity soccer at Springfield High School and earned the rank of lieutenant in the school’s Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps. He had also planned to attend Wright State University in Ohio in the fall.
Letters posted to Bel’s Instagram account show that his high school teachers, JROTC military leader and employers at Texas Roadhouse had recently written to the judge overseeing his immigration case. The letters described Bel’s character and accomplishments as he pursued a path toward remaining legally in the United States.
His death comes amid broader changes to U.S. immigration policy affecting Haitians. Since ending TPS protections for Haitians, the Trump administration has sent two deportation flights to Haiti as part of its wider immigration enforcement campaign.
