LUMPKIN COUNTY, Ga. — A Georgia man has been released from immigration detention after a yearlong campaign by advocates, family members and federal lawmakers who raised concerns about medical neglect and his treatment inside one of the state’s largest detention facilities.Rodney Taylor, a double amputee who came to the U.S. on a medical visa at 2 years old, was released Saturday from Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin County, where his family says he suffered serious health deterioration while facing possible deportation.“I am proof that when people organize and refuse to look away, we can win. I am home. I am free,” Taylor said.Decades-old conviction at center of caseTaylor’s detention was tied to a burglary conviction from when he was a teenager. He was later pardoned by the state parole board, but under federal immigration law, that pardon may not matter.Taylor’s family says he was brought to the United States at just two years old for medical treatment on a legal visa that eventually lapsed over time.His wife, Mildred Taylor, says while in custody, her husband was denied full access to food and showers.“Mentally, physically, it’s been very, very challenging,” Mildred Taylor said.She says he struggled to get even basic accommodations, which then led to new medical issues.PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Disabled barber in ICE custody pleads for release“Rodney’s been diagnosed with bone spurs and neuropathy as a result of the ill fitted prosthetics that were not provided to him while in detention, now causing more sensitive situations to his body and breaking down is deteriorating, is debilitating,” she said.Coalition campaign leads to releaseTaylor’s release follows a high-profile pressure campaign led by a broad coalition of community organizers, legal experts and federal lawmakers who warned that the Trump administration’s continued detention of Taylor was a “death sentence” given his severe medical vulnerabilities.Coalition partners supporting the effort include El Refugio, Black Alliance for Just Immigration, Columbus GA Indivisible, We Are CASA, Black Diaspora Liberty Initiative, Progress Georgia, AAAJ-Atlanta and community advocates across Georgia and beyond.“Rodney is home because his loved ones led with courage and this community organized, applied relentless pressure and forced ICE to act,” said Alberto Feregrino, Georgia organizing director for We Are CASA. “We made it clear that we are united and we will not allow our neighbors to be torn from their families and disappeared into a mass detention and deportation system. This is what community power delivers.”The campaign reached a turning point through congressional intervention. U.S. Sen. Raphael Warnock; U.S. Reps. Lucy McBath and Pramila Jayapal; state Reps. Gabriel Sanchez, Segun Adeyina, Jasmine Clark, Josh McLaurin and others joined by a coalition of 21 members of Congress and half a dozen members of the Georgia Legislature publicly pressed ICE to address systemic medical neglect and act on the urgent humanitarian need for Taylor’s release.Congresswoman raises oversight concernsFor McBath, Rodney Taylor’s case is about more than one man. It’s about oversight of the entire immigration system.“It is our responsibility to make sure there is a sense of dignity and respect and humanity by which they’re being detained,” McBath said.McBath suspected Taylor’s story is not unique. She said Congress must be able to monitor what’s happening inside detention centers nationwide.“We should all be concerned. Every community should be concerned if there are individuals within their community that are being detained,” McBath said. “And so I wanted to make sure that I was highlighting Rodney’s case because it might be representative of what is actually happening in detention centers all around the country.”McBath said her office has pressed federal officials for answers, but so far, she said those responses have not matched what Taylor and his family described.“I am very relieved to know that Rodney Taylor is currently reunited with his family. However, we know that the despicable and inhumane treatment of detainees in ICE facilities continues, and more families are suffering the same pain that Rodney’s family has endured,” McBath said Saturday. “My advocacy for Rodney and my oversight of the treatment of detainees with disabilities must continue, because we know Rodney was not alone. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security must answer the questions my colleagues and I will continue to pose about the treatment of detainees in all federal immigration facilities.”Family, advocates react to release“There were moments when I wasn’t sure I would survive the neglect I faced in detention, but knowing there was a community outside those walls fighting for me kept me going,” Taylor said. “I am so relieved to be back with my family where I can finally receive the medical care and dignity I deserve.”“For over a year, our family has been living in a constant state of fear and heartbreak, watching Rodney suffer behind bars while we fought for his basic humanity. Today, I can finally breathe again,” Mildred Taylor said. “This victory isn’t just about my husband coming home; it’s a message to every family still waiting to be reunited that we will never stop fighting for them. My heart is full of gratitude for the coalition and the thousands of people who raised their voices to bring Rodney back to us.”Despite everything, Mildred Taylor says her husband tried to help others while inside the facility, even while trying to manage his own health problems.“It’s been a nightmare. I haven’t found a movie that’s nearly close to what we’re living,” she said.“I am so glad that ICE has finally done the right thing,” said Sarah Owings, Taylor’s attorney. “I am deeply grateful to the coalition and every single person who worked to make sure Rodney can now receive the care, support, and safety he needs at home with his family.”“In immigration detention, medical neglect, prolonged isolation, and systemic cruelty put lives at risk every single day,” said Amilcar Valencia, executive director of El Refugio, according to We Are CASA. “Rodney’s release is a powerful reminder of what collective action can make possible, but it is also a painful reflection of how much suffering people are forced to endure before ICE does what should have been done from the start.”“Rodney Taylor’s release is a powerful reminder of why we do this work. As someone who spent months in detention, I know the weight of those cages and what it means to finally walk free,” said Uchechukwu Onwa of Black Alliance for Just Immigration and Black Diaspora Liberty Initiative, according to We Are CASA. “Moments like this affirm that our organizing, our advocacy, and our collective pressure matter. While we celebrate Rodney’s freedom, we remain committed to fighting for the many others who are still behind those walls.”“Rodney’s release is a testament to the organizing that has happened over the course of a year. In a system that depends on our people feeling isolated and forgotten we made sure Rodney knew he had people fighting for him,” said Mikki Charles, community organizer for The UndocuBlack Network, according to We Are CASA. “The tenacity of his wife, Mildred, activated so many people to take action, to refuse to be silent and uplift Rodney’s voice and story in every space. I hope this victory motivates others who are fighting for the release of their loved ones to not give up because this fight is bigger than any one individual. The fight does not end here, we continue to fight until every single person detained is released and reunited with their loved ones. When we fight we win!”“The unjust detainment of Rodney Taylor was devastating to the Atlanta community,” said Caroline Stover with Indivisible Georgia Coalition, according to We Are CASA. “ICE has terrorized and abused too many of our friends, neighbors, and relatives. Rodney experienced the worst of the worst at Stewart Detention Center and we are beyond grateful that he has finally been released. Georgians will not stop fighting ICE as long as they continue their unjust, unlawful, inhumane actions in our state.”Legal case continuesTaylor’s case is still tied up on multiple fronts.Owings was working to get immigration officials to release him from detention. Separately, she’s working on what’s known as a habeas petition, essentially asking a federal court to review his entire case.“At the end of this phase, there are appellate phases so this could drag on depending on the outcome. We’ll just have to see. We’ll see what the board of immigration appeal says and go from there. And the rights of Rodney to either return to the country or remain in the country, that will be going on for a long time. Immigration in general is very slow. That’s just how things are working these days,” Owings said.An ICE spokesman told Atlanta News First that any claims Taylor or any detainees are dealing with “subprime conditions” are false.Advocates are calling on the public to continue supporting Taylor’s recovery and to remain engaged in the ongoing fight against medical neglect and systemic abuse within ICE facilities, according to We Are CASA.Atlanta News First and Atlanta News First+ provide you with the latest news, headlines and insights as Georgia continues its role at the forefront of the nation’s political scene. Download our Atlanta News First app for the latest political news and information.Atlanta News First podcasts are available now on: Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music | YouTubeCopyright 2026 WANF. All rights reserved.