GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — An immigrant and double-amputee living in metro Atlanta, who has been in the United States since he was a child, is free from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody.
Rodney Taylor, a Liberian immigrant, was detained by ICE and was being held at Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, since Jan. 15, 2025.
On Monday, an ICE spokesperson confirmed to Channel 2 Action News that Taylor was released from federal custody.
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Channel 2’s Michael Doudna and Cory James previously spoke to Mildred Pierre, Taylor’s fiancée, who advocated for his release since he was detained at their home.
Taylor, a Gwinnett County barber and father, first came to the U.S. when he was 2 years old while in need of medical care.
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Pierre told Channel 2 Action News in 2025 that Taylor was detained for a burglary charge from 1997, despite having received a full unconditional pardon in 2010.
“He has a pardon. How is getting - and it’s a full unconditional pardon, right?” she said previously. “And pardons are very rare in Georgia. Even more rare for undocumented individuals. So how is he being deported if he has a pardon?”
El Refugio, a nonprofit dedicated to assisting immigrants and their families at Stewart Detention Center also confirmed Sunday that Taylor had been released and was back home with his family.
Channel 2 Action News reached out to ICE for a more detailed statement about Taylor’s release.
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