ICE’s actions targeting immigrant communities this year have been devastating and relentless, but Pierre Damas Bel’s story may be the most heartbreaking yet.
Two months ago, the boy who had escaped unimaginable violence in Haiti was graduating with honors from high school in Springfield, OH. He posted Instagram photos of himself in his JROTC uniform, playing soccer with his team, holding awards he had won. He was excited to start Wright State University to study neuroscience.
Pierre had his whole life ahead of him.
But just after he started classes at Wright State, he and his family had their Temporary Protected Status stolen from them by the Trump administration. ICE agents labeled him “illegal” and forced him to wear an ankle monitor.
He was made to feel like a criminal.
The final straw came when he showed up to pick up his college JROTC uniform, ready to serve his adopted country, only to be turned away.
After a phone call to his father, in which Pierre said he was being bullied for wearing the ankle monitor, he stepped into highway traffic and died.
One of Pierre’s last social media posts summed up the cruelty of the Trump deportation machine perfectly:
“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. I came here to study, to build my future, and to live a better [life,] not to be treated like a criminal. So now, how am I supposed to play college sports with a GPS monitor on my leg?”
Pierre’s family is going through a devastating loss, and they need a community to stand up for them more than ever.
That’s why we started the Moms for Good campaign – to show that we will not stand by while our government attacks innocent people seeking a better life for themselves.
Friends of Pierre’s family have set up a GoFundMe to help with funeral costs and support through this difficult time. 100% of your gift will be passed through to the Pierre Damas Bel GoFundMe.