PIERRE DAMAS BEL

On 2026-09-03, Representative Ayanna Pressley (D-MA-7) delivered a floor speech titled "PIERRE DAMAS BEL" in the House.

PIERRE DAMAS BEL

Congressional Record, Volume 172 Issue 140 (Thursday, September 3, 2026) [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 140 (Thursday, September 3, 2026)] [House] [Page H5491] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [ www.gpo.gov ] PIERRE DAMAS BEL (Ms. PRESSLEY asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 minute.) Ms. PRESSLEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise for the family and loved ones of Pierre Damas Bel, a beloved son and brother, 20-year-old college student, and Haitian immigrant with temporary protected status. He found joy on the soccer field and dreamed of studying medicine until the Trump administration forced an ankle monitor, really a shackle, on him and threatened his deportation. Trump's termination of Haiti TPS robbed this young man of his humanity, stripped him of his dignity, and inflicted mental trauma that became too much for him to bear. He simply could not go on. Trump's cruel attacks on our Haitian neighbors certainly will take a toll on our economy and our national security but also a psychological and emotional toll. Mr. Speaker, no parent should lose their child, no sibling their older brother, yet Trump is traumatizing communities in every corner of our country. Pierre should be alive today, falling in love, playing soccer, and on path to becoming a doctor. We honor his memory by doing everything we can to save lives and extend TPS for Haiti. The House has already passed our legislation to do just that, and the Senate must follow suit without delay. Pierre's father's last words to him were: ``Pierre, come home.'' Because of the cruelty, anti-Blackness, and anti-immigrant policies of this administration, which I consider to be un-American, sadly, Pierre never will make it home. Rest in eternal peace. ____________________