May 4, 2026Updated May 5, 2026, 11:17 a.m. ETA double amputee from Georgia who was in Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention for well over a year has been released, advocacy groups say.Rodney Taylor, 47, was born in Liberia and brought to the United States legally at the age of 2 on a medical visa, according to Georgia representative Lucy McBath.His name shot to the national stage when McBath described his case during a congressional hearing with then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem at the beginning of March. Noem was removed from her position shortly after."Secretary Noem, you claim you are going after the worst of the worst. If you're doing that, I would really be cheering you on, but this simply isn't the case. That's false," McBath said in the hearing.Taylor was in the country legally, his family saysTaylor became a double amputee at the age of 10 to address severe limb deformities, according to McBath.He was convicted on a burglary charge at the age of 17, his wife said, but he was later pardoned by former Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and he had no further interactions with law enforcement. He applied for a green card, and the process was pending at the time Taylor was taken into ICE custody last year.Taylor's wife, Mildred Pierre, told 285 South he was granted a work permit in January before ICE came to their home, and he has a social security number.Pierre told Capitol Beat in March that ICE agents had boxed in their car near their home in Loganville, Georgia, with both of their young children inside. She said the agents pulled their guns on Taylor, and she worried he would be sent home from the Stewart Detention Center, south of Columbus, "in a box."In comments made to various outlets and disability advocacy groups, Taylor said he loves being in America, and it's the only life he has ever known. He worked as a barber in Gwinnett County prior to his detention."We love being in this country, where else would a person with double amputee be able to strive and have a family and be able to build his own business," Taylor said in a call from the detention center.ICE detention conditions called 'despicable'Taylor's family and advocacy groups were worried about his physical health while in detention, as they said he wasn't receiving medical care and had lost enough weight that his prostethic legs no longer fit.McBath said Taylor couldn't get himself to and from the cafeteria, and had to rely on other detainees to provide him food. Taylor wasn't able to shower most days, and when he was able to get a shower stool, he had to drag his body through mold and feces to enter and exit the shower area, according to McBath. Taylor also reported being sick on multiple occasions to his family during his detention and he did not receive medical attention."This is despicable. It's inhumane torture that no person should have to endure," McBath said during the hearing.Noem said at the time she was unaware of Taylor's specific case, but that all detainees had access to medical care and the detention centers were held to standards that are "the highest in the nation." There was no follow-up with Noem as she was moved to a new position in the Trump administration shortly after.Taylor was issued travel documents that suggested his deportation was near earlier this year, his wife told 285 South.She worked with advocacy groups to organize phone blitz to politicians, the ICE Atlanta Field Office, Taylor's deportation officer and others. She was also present for Noem's hearing where Taylor's case was shared.Taylor now released, groups sayOn May 3, advocacy group Columbus Georgia Indivisibles announced Taylor was not deported, and instead was released back to his family after 15 months in the ICE detention center."We kindly ask that the family be given space and privacy at this time as they reunite after this long separation," the group said."I am so glad that ICE has finally done the right thing," Sarah Owings, an attorney who represented Taylor, told 11Alive following his release. "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 a short comment made by Taylor to the outlet, he said his case is "proof that when people organize and refuse to look away, we can win.""I am home. I am free," Taylor said.Irene Wright is following the development of ICE facilities in Georgia as the Atlanta Connect reporter with USA TODAY's Deep South Connect team. Find her on X @IreneEWright or email her at ismith@usatodayco.com.