Trump Race Soldiers Detained a Double-Leg Amputee Black Man, Denied Him Food, Medical Help and Access to a Shower. Feds Sought Deportation Despite His Pardon by Governor. ACLU Files Suit

The American Civil Liberties Union of Georgia filed a claim under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA) against U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement on behalf of Rodney Taylor, a 47-year-old father who has lived in the U.S. since he was 2 years old and is a double-leg amputee. Federal immigration officers detained Taylor in early 2025 while his two young children watched, and he was later denied needed medical care while in ICE custody at the Stewart Detention Center. The filing is part of a coordinated nationwide effort by the ACLU and its affiliates involving 53 claims across 17 states and Washington D.C.

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.

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.

"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. [MORE]