Rodney Taylor released from detention: “I am proof that when people organize and refuse to look away, we can win”

Rodney Taylor, a Gwinnett County resident held at Stewart Detention Center since January 2025, was released over the weekend. “The amount of love I’m receiving is just overwhelming,” he said in a video posted on the Free Rodney Taylor Instagram account. “I am proof that when people organize and refuse to look away, we can win. I am home. I am free,” he said in a statement released by a coalition of immigrant rights organizations.

Rodney was brought to the U.S. from Liberia by his mother when he was just two years old for medical treatment; both of his legs have been amputated. He remained in the country through adulthood, working as a barber, and telling 285 South last year that his legal status remained “up in the air”—though he was in the process of applying for documentation and had a social security number and work permit. 

Still, on January 17, 2025—three days after his work permit had been approved—authorities arrested him at his home in Loganville. The arrest appeared to stem from a burglary conviction Rodney had gotten as a teenager, for which he’d received a pardon from the state; since being detained, he’s been fighting his immigration case in federal court. 

His wife, Mildred Danis-Taylor, had become an energetic advocate for his release, attending weekly public events with members of Congress and appealing for help to local municipalities such as the Atlanta City Council. Earlier this year, she attended a House Judiciary Committee in Washington, D.C., with Congresswoman Lucy McBath to raise awareness about Rodney’s declining health in front of former Department of Homeland Security Secretary, Kristi Noem. Two months ago, Mildred told 285 South that Rodney’s health was deteriorating: He’d injured his hand in a fall, was having trouble operating his wheelchair, and had lost 20 pounds.  

Midlred received the support of a coalition of organizations including El Refugio, Black Alliance for Just Immigration (BAJI), Columbus GA Indivisible, We Are CASA, Black Diaspora Liberty Initiative, Progress Georgia, and Asian Americans Advancing Justice–Atlanta. 

“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,” Mildred said in the press release. “My heart is full of gratitude for the coalition and the thousands of people who raised their voices to bring Rodney back to us.”

The family continues to raise funds through a GoFundMe to support Rodney to address his medical needs and gain his financial independence after his release.