09/03/2026
The Ohio Senate Democrats offer our deepest condolences to Pierre Damas Bel’s family and loved ones. Pierre came to this country to pursue an education and build a future. Instead of getting to play soccer and study neuroscience, he was treated like a criminal.
His death is a tragedy and a direct result of this administration’s inhumane and racist immigration policies. So far, the president’s mass deportation approach has yielded no benefits, socially or economically. Instead, it has resulted in deaths of our neighbors and trauma inflicted on an industrial scale.
Pierre’s death will not be the last if we do not change course towards a more compassionate approach that recognizes the importance and humanity of our country’s immigrant community.
If you or someone you know needs help, call or text the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline anytime, 24/7, or visit 988Lifeline.org.
Pierre Damas Bel should have been preparing for his future.
He was 20 years old. A Haitian immigrant. An honors graduate. A soccer player. A JROTC member. A young man who had just started college at Wright State University to study neuroscience, with dreams of one day becoming a doctor.
Instead, his life ended in a tragedy that should force all of us to confront the consequences of how we treat immigrants in this country.
Pierre came here to build a future. He entered the United States with permission. He graduated from an Ohio high school. He earned scholarships and accolades for his character and accomplishments.
And then he was made to wear an ICE ankle monitor.
His family says he felt humiliated and dehumanized. He was bullied because of it. He struggled to participate in the activities he loved. And shortly before his death, he told his father that he was not OK.
We should be able to disagree about immigration policy without losing our humanity.
We should be able to enforce our laws without treating people like criminals simply because of where they were born.
And we absolutely must reject the racist and dehumanizing rhetoric that has been directed at Haitian immigrants - particularly here in Ohio.
Pierre was not a statistic. He was not a political talking point. He was someone’s son. Someone’s friend. A student with dreams. A young man with an entire life ahead of him.
My heart is with Pierre’s family, his friends, his classmates, and Ohio’s Haitian community as they grieve this unimaginable loss.
As your State Senator, I will continue to speak out forcefully against racism, xenophobia, and policies that strip people of their dignity.
We can have borders. We can have laws. We can have a serious conversation about immigration.
But we cannot lose our humanity in the process.
Pierre deserved better from his country, his community, and all of us.
May his memory be a blessing.
