Double amputee in Georgia ICE detention shares horrifying story of centers

NORCROSS, GA – "Hey, everybody. I'm grateful to be here."

Rodney Taylor, a 47-year-old double amputee who was released from ICE custody in early May after spending more than 15 months in detention, began his remarks to a crowded room in Norcross, Georgia, by thanking everyone who worked on his case.

"A month ago, I wouldn't believe that I would be here right now," Taylor said.

The meeting space inside Asian Americans Advancing Justice – Atlanta was packed with immigration advocates, members of Taylor's family and cameras as Taylor made his first public statement since his release.

"It's just a blessing from the Lord that I'm here, [with] my beautiful wife, my family. Words can't express this feeling," Taylor said. "It's still surreal to me, because when I was in detention, the day I got there, they told me I was going to be deported in three months. No going to court, no seeing the judge, not anything."

Taylor's case drew national attention when Rep. Lucy McBath, D-Georgia, described the "despicable"conditions inside the Stewart Detention Center in Lumpkin, Georgia, during a hearing with then-Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem.

Now, after Taylor's release, he's sharing his story of perseverance and shining a light on what he says is the dark reality inside ICE detention centers.

Taylor entered the country legally, family and legal team say

Taylor arrived in the United States more than four decades ago with his mother, from Liberia, on a medical visa to address his severe limb deformities. By the age of 10, he was a double amputee. He now has only one hand with all five fingers, and uses two prosthetic legs to walk.

At the age of 17 he was convicted on a burglary charge in Georgia, but he was later pardoned by former Republican Gov. Sonny Perdue and never had any other interactions with law enforcement.

Taylor was running a successful barber shop in Loganville, Georgia, and was in the process of gaining his green card to continue living in the United States. He had a Social Security number, and was granted a work permit in January of 2025.

Sarah Owings, Taylor's attorney, told USA TODAY his immigration status was pending and he was going through the proper channels for his permanent residency in the United States when he was detained by ICE last year.

"I was detained by ICE in front of my kids, age 4 and 6, nearly 15 months ago on Jan. 15, [2025]," Taylor said.

Taylor denied medical care, food during detention

For the first time, Taylor described conditions inside the Stewart Detention Center in his own words.

"While I was detained, I was denied proper accommodations for my disability. I struggled just to charge my prosthetics, for access to [a] proper shower seat. At one point, they refused to feed me for three weeks because they expected me to walk the length of a football field six times a day just to get some meals while also refusing to provide protective liners needed for my prosthetics," Taylor said. "Walking was like walking directly on my knees against concrete. It was tough, very tough."

Taylor said he was placed in segregation if he complained about his legs or the water leaking into the facility when it rained. He said he would speak up about the poor conditions because he understood his rights and he is fluent in English, while many other detainees are unable to voice their concern.

"Stewart Detention Center is not equipped to handle people with disabilities. The building is old and run down. Water leaks through the ceiling, through the cells when it rains. There are black mold deposits in the water, in the drinking water. Sometimes detainees go days without hot showers, [and] toilets and sinks often do not work properly," Taylor described.

Taylor said it often took multiple weeks to get any kind of medical care, including two weeks to see a nurse and two more to see a doctor. He said officers told him if he wasn't "bleeding or dying" to just put in a sick call and medical personnel would get to him when they could.

"Meanwhile, people are suffering and losing their lives. These are human beings, but [they] treat us like cattle waiting to be slaughtered, but in this case, deported," Taylor said.

USA TODAY reached out to the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement to respond to Taylor's accusations, and is waiting for a response.

Taylor is not an exception, McBath says

Taylor's case was championed by his wife, Mildred Danis-Taylor, advocacy groups like the Free Rodney Taylor Campaign, UndocuBlack Network, Indivisible Georgia, New Disabled South, Asian Americans Advancing Justice, The Black Alliance for Just Immigration, el Refugio, We are Casa, Progress Georgia, and many state and national representatives.

McBath brought his case to Washington, and said while she celebrates Taylor's release, he is not an exception to a rule, but a representation of experiences across the country inside ICE detention centers.

"I do feel a little bit of relief today, a little bit. But you all, our work is not over. Our work is not done. Think about all the other detainees across this country, all the other detainees in Stewart Detention Center that are undergoing the same kinds of inhumane treatment," McBath said at the news conference. "Rodney was, sadly as they say, he's not an exception. He was an example of a much larger problem in this country. ... Just as we pressed former Secretary Noem, we'll be pressing Secretary Mullin and ICE and CPB to answer for the conditions in these facilities and to follow the standards that have already been put in place."

Two other ICE detention facilities proposed in Georgia, a "megacenter" in Social Circle and a processing facility in Oakwood, were put on pause after Noem was ousted from the agency, but have not been completely scrapped. Members of both communities have been vehemently against the construction of the facilities since the land and warehouses were purchased by DHS earlier in 2026, and city officials say there has been little to no communication from DHS on how the facilities will be operated or how they intend to impact both the infrastructure of their towns as well as the community as a whole.

State representatives who were in attendance on Monday said they would continue to work at the state level to increase transparency for ICE operations in Georgia, and even supported the abolition of ICE in hopes of ushering in a new era of immigration enforcement in America.

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 [email protected].