Editor’s note: If you or someone you know may be considering suicide or is in crisis, call or text 988 to reach the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.
A 20-year-old Haitian immigrant walked into traffic on a busy highway Monday and was hit by a tractor-trailer in what his family believes was a suicide.
Pierre Damas Bel feared being deported back to Haiti after the Trump administration revoked Temporary Protected Status for some 350,00 Haitians living in the U.S. He had been outfitted with an ankle monitor after being summoned to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement office in July.
Here & Now‘s Peter O’Dowd speaks with Viles Dorsainvil, executive director of the nonprofit Haitian Support Center in Springfield, Ohio.
Editor’s note: Wittenberg University in response to this interview said that Pierre Damas Bel did not lose his scholarship or his place on the soccer team. Dr. Christian M. Brady, the president of Wittenberg University, provided the statement below:
“Pierre’s death is a tragedy, and we grieve with his family. Pierre was a bright young man whom we admitted to Wittenberg and who was recruited to our men’s soccer program. At no point was his offer of admission, his academic scholarship (Division III schools do not offer athletics scholarships), or his invitation to join our team rescinded. Pierre ultimately decided to pursue his studies at Wright State University. We are heartbroken and mourn with all who knew and loved him.”
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
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