If there was one thing to know about Pierre Damas Bel, it was that he loved his community.
It was the resounding agreement of everyone who spoke, affirmed with nods and "amens" from attendees at the 20-year-old Haitian immigrant's funeral on Oct. 3 at St. John's Missionary Baptist Church in Springfield.
"He was my everything," Bel's father, Pierre Ronal Bel, wrote in a statement read aloud at the funeral.
Bel's casket, adorned in colorful flowers, lay before well over 100 family members, friends, coworkers and even strangers grieving the loss of someone they repeatedly called a generous, intelligent young man with a "profound capacity to love" and who never tired of helping others. Bel was an honors student who loved soccer, wanted to become a neurosurgeon
and dreamed of building a hospital in his homeland one day.
On Aug. 31, Bel was hit by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 70 east of Springfield, where he and over 10,000 other Haitians reside, after leaving his vehicle on the side of the road, according to the Ohio Highway Patrol.
While the official cause of death has not been confirmed by a coroner, Bel's loved ones are certain he died by suicide, brought on by being bullied for wearing an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) ankle monitor following the revocation of Temporary Protection Status (TPS) for Haitian immigrants.
"Our dear friend and brother may have died by suicide, but he was killed by the system," Guerline Jozef, co-founder and executive director of the Haitian Bridge Alliance, said at Bel's funeral service.
Loss of protected status left Bel, Ohio Haitians in despair, confusion
Spurred on by false claims from federal officials in 2024, Springfield has been a consistent target of ICE under the Trump administration. On July 27, the federal government revoked TPS, sending the Haitian community into a spiral of fear, confusion and uncertainty over their futures in the United States.
TPS is granted to immigrants fleeing their home countries due to natural disasters, armed conflicts and other unsafe conditions. Haiti has been racked by extreme violence and political instability for years, and between January and September 2026 alone, over 5,000 people have been killed or injured due to gang violence, according to the United Nations. The State Department, as of the day of Bel's funeral, continues to warn Americans against traveling to Haiti, citing "crime, terrorism, kidnapping, unrest, and limited health care."
In August, Springfield's Haitian residents received letters to report to an ICE office in Cincinnati where some were outfitted with the ankle monitors.
Bel's family have said he was struggling deeply with his mental health, brought on by the humiliation he felt and bullying he received while having to wear the ankle monitor. A graduate of Springfield High School and member of the Junior Reserve Officers' Training Corps, Bel was recruited to play soccer at Wittenberg University. He had a full academic scholarship, according to his family, but that changed when his TPS did and he had to wear the monitor.
Columbus' Haitian population, which is larger than Springfield's, has also been the target of the Trump administration's immigration crackdown. Tens of thousands of Columbus' Haitian residents are struggling to make ends meet and living in fear of deportation after losing TPS, the Haitian Community Network told Columbus City Council on Sept. 29.
Pierre Damas Bel was believer in the American dream, mourners say
Alternating between Creole and English, speakers at Bel's funeral shared memories of him helping his classmates with homework, helping his stepmother apply for jobs and translating for his family members. Bel read his father's emails and helped him craft replies, encouraged his cousin to apply for college and described as someone who believed in the American dream.
"Pierre's legacy shows us that true patriotism is found in grit, it's found in passion, humility, honor and kindness." said Yola Lamarre, a close friend of Bel's. "Pierre's legacy leaves a mark in our lives forever, in how the criminalization of Haitian immigrants can be an unnecessary death sentence."
Republican Gov. Mike DeWine, who has openly opposed the revocation of TPS for Haitians immigrants, attended Bel's funeral.
"He wanted to be a part of this country," DeWine said of Bel. "It's not only a personal tragedy for the family, the community, but it's a tragedy for this country that we're losing people like this. We don't have to lose them, we should have them here."
Nadia Jean Jacques, a leader in the Haitian Community Network in Columbus, urged attendees to continue to support the Bel family and one another.
"There is nothing we can do to bring Pierre Damas Bel back, but there is something we can do. We can refuse to let this family walk through their grief alone," she said.
Bel was buried at Ferncliff Cemetery in Springfield following the funeral service.
Help is available. Call or text 988 to connect with the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Support is also available via live chat at 988lifeline.org.
Business and consumer issues reporter Samantha Hendrickson can be reached at shendrickson@dispatch.com
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Pierre Damas Bel remembered for generosity, kindness and dreams
