Ten days after proposing to his fiancée, Rodney Taylor was taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in January. The beloved Georgia barber immigrated to the United States when he was two years old.
He was brought from Liberia by his mother on a medical visa so that he could have amputation surgeries for a congenital condition affecting his hands and feet. The United States has been his only home ever since.
Taylor’s immigration status hung in uncertainty despite having lived in the United States for practically his entire life.
Nevertheless, he pursued a career in barbering since he enjoyed giving people new haircuts.
He told 11Alive, “I’m a people person. I love dealing with people, meeting people every day. Making them look good.”
He went beyond haircuts to become involved with a nonprofit that taught Black males about the dangers of lung cancer and how to get screened for it.
Taylor is now facing deportation to Liberia, a place he has not visited since he was a baby.
He also finds himself cutting hair inside an immigration detention facility rather than in his store.
His arrest stems from a 16-year-old felony charge that he was pardoned for in the state. He pleaded guilty to felony burglary at the time and was granted a pardon by the Georgia Parole Board sixteen years later, but the pardon fell short of the relief requirements set by ICE.
He recounted, “They picked me up and said I was an aggravated felon. They treated me like I was a criminal. They told me automatic deportation. I can’t see a judge; I can’t get a hearing.”
The Department of Justice stated it had no record of Taylor’s case and will not make one until he is charged.
He has been in custody for three months without a court date even though ICE initially told him he would be deported within that timeframe.
He spoke of overcrowded conditions, where detainees slept on the floor and had little access to restrooms.
“I feel like I am at my wits’ end,” he said. “I rely on prayer.”
Even in his current situation, Taylor is still helping people. In the detention facility, he has assumed the job of barber, giving haircuts to other detainees in an effort to help them feel more normal.
“As long as I feel like I’m helping someone, I feel good,” he said.
Despite being detained, Taylor scheduled a free health fair in Dekalb County for March 22. His supporters and fiancée are still pushing for his release, but his future is still up in the air as there is no court date soon.
“I pray that my immigration status is approved,” Taylor remarked. “That’s the only thing that can get me out of this situation.”
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