A Haitian migrant facing deportation in the United States has died after entering traffic on an interstate in Ohio, according to reports, prompting renewed criticism from immigration advocates over the treatment of migrants under the Trump administration.
Pierre Damas Bel, who was in the middle of deportation proceedings, died after he was struck by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 70 in Springfield, Ohio. Immigration rights groups have linked his death to the pressure surrounding his immigration status and the use of an electronic monitoring device.
Bel had been released from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody while his case was pending. As a condition of his release, he was required to wear a GPS ankle monitor that tracked his movements.
In a social media post published about a month before his death, Bel described the device as humiliating and expressed concern about how it would affect his plans to participate in college sports.
He said he had travelled to the United States to pursue his education and questioned how he could take part in college athletics while wearing a monitoring device.
Bel had previously benefited from Temporary Protected Status (TPS), a humanitarian immigration programme that allowed eligible Haitians to remain in the United States. The Trump administration moved to end the protection, following a Supreme Court ruling in June.
His case has since become a focal point for immigration advocacy organisations, with activists accusing the administration of creating increasingly difficult conditions for migrants facing removal.
Lynn Tramonte, executive director of Ohio’s Voice, criticised the government’s immigration policies following Bel’s death and argued that the removal of legal protections had placed Haitian migrants under severe pressure.
Bel’s father also said his son had repeatedly asked authorities to remove the ankle monitor because he wanted to play soccer. According to his father, Bel was also subjected to bullying at school, including being called a criminal.
ICE’s Alternatives to Detention programme uses electronic monitoring and other measures to supervise migrants who are not being held in immigration detention while their cases move through the system.
The agency said Bel entered the United States in March 2024 through a process involving the Biden administration’s CBP One application. He was placed on electronic monitoring on July 29, slightly more than a month before his death.
ICE did not provide details about the circumstances surrounding the incident, saying only that the agency had been informed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
The immigration agency also defended its position on migrants who are subject to deportation proceedings, saying individuals who do not have legal permission to remain in the United States can voluntarily leave the country through the CBP Home application.
Bel had recently graduated from Springfield High School and had begun studying at Wright State University in Dayton. He had planned to pursue neuroscience.
His death comes against the backdrop of heightened political attention on Haitian migration in Springfield. The Ohio city experienced a significant increase in its Haitian population during the Biden administration, bringing the community into the centre of the US immigration debate.
Springfield gained national attention in 2024 after then-presidential candidate Donald Trump made unsubstantiated claims about Haitian migrants in the city, allegations that generated widespread controversy.
According to the Springfield News-Sun, Bel had parked his vehicle on the shoulder of Interstate 70 before entering the roadway. He was subsequently hit by a truck and died at the scene.
The incident has intensified debate over deportation policies, electronic monitoring, and the treatment of migrants awaiting decisions on their immigration cases.