U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has requested that Pennsylvania authorities hold an illegal immigrant from Haiti for possible deportation proceedings after he was arrested and charged in a semi-truck crash that killed a veteran state trooper, officials announced Monday.
The detainer requests that the state place a hold on Michael Bon, whom the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) described as an illegal alien from Haiti. The detainer request means Bon would not be released from custody.
Bon faces charges of vehicular homicide and involuntary manslaughter in a July 1 crash in Schuylkill County that killed Trooper Michael Pahira, a nearly 20-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police.
According to a DHS statement, Pahira was pulled over and in the process of inspecting another commercial vehicle when the semi-truck driven by Bon hit him. Pahira later succumbed to his injuries at a hospital.
ICE placed the detainer the day after Bon’s arrest. The detainer requests local officials not to release him from custody so that federal immigration authorities can assume custody for removal proceedings.
DHS said Bon, 33, was released into the United States by the Biden administration in July 2024. He filed an application for temporary protected status (TPS) in October 2024, which was never granted.
The department also noted that Bon received his commercial driver’s license from Massachusetts, which it referred to as a sanctuary state.
Acting Assistant Secretary Lauren Bis directly tied the trooper’s death to prior policy decisions.
“This Haitian illegal alien was RELEASED into our country by the Biden Administration, and the sanctuary state of Massachusetts gave him a Commercial Driver’s License,” Bis said in a statement. “Now, because of these reckless policies, a Pennsylvania State Trooper is dead after a crash that was 100% preventable. Illegal aliens should not be driving trucks on America’s highways. Our hearts and prayers go out to his family and the Pennsylvania State Police as they mourn this loss.”
DHS has raised concerns over the licensing of commercial drivers residing in the country illegally. The statement highlighted that the July 1 accident was entirely avoidable under stricter enforcement of immigration and licensing rules.
The detainer ensures Bon remains in custody pending further immigration action while state criminal proceedings are ongoing. The agency did not provide additional details on Bon’s immigration history besides the 2024 release and the unsuccessful TPS application.
