09/01/2026
Montgomery County Democrats mourn the loss of Springfield youth
DAYTON, OHIO, Sept. 1, 2026 –
The Montgomery County Democratic Party mourns the loss of Pierre Damas Bel. Like many immigrants and U.S. citizens he looked to education to find his future. Now all his family has left of him are memories.
“Pierre Damas Bell should be alive today,” said Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair Jocelyn Rhynard. “He should be planning his future with hope and excitement. Instead, President Trump’s policies and ICE have led us to mourning yet another avoidable tragedy.”
The 20-year-old Bel was fitted with an ankle tracker by ICE in July. Bel was among the many Haitians in the Miami Valley community. Pastor Carl Ruby of the Central Christian Church wrote Bel was teased by students at Wright State University about his monitor before he took his own life Monday morning.
“I wish President Trump could hear the mom’s wails,” Ruby wrote on social media. “The family wants people to know that this was a su***de and they want people to know that President Trump, (Stephen) Miller, and Markwayne Mullin’s inhumane immigration policies made this happen.”
The Montgomery Democratic Party sends its condolences to the Bell family as well as all others affected by the violence inflicted by ICE.
