Rodney Taylor was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in January, just ten days after proposing to his fiancée. The popular Georgia barber moved to the United States when he was two years old.
His mother brought him from Liberia on a medical visa to undergo amputation surgery for a congenital condition affecting his hands and feet. Since then, he has only lived in the United States.
Taylor’s immigration status was uncertain, despite the fact that he had lived in the United States for most of his life.
Nonetheless, he chose a career as a barber because he enjoyed giving people new haircuts.
He told 11Alive, “I am a people person. I enjoy dealing with and meeting new people on a daily basis. “Make them look good.”
He went beyond haircuts and joined a nonprofit that educated Black men about the dangers of lung cancer and how to get screened for it.
Taylor is now facing deportation to Liberia, where he has not been since he was a baby.
He also finds himself cutting hair in an immigration detention center rather than at his store.
His arrest stems from a 16-year-old felony charge for which he was pardoned by 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 it did not meet ICE’s relief requirements.
He explained, “They picked me up and said I was an aggravated felon. They treated me as if I were a criminal. They told me I would be deported automatically. I can’t see a judge or get a hearing.
The Department of Justice stated that it has no record of Taylor’s case and will not create one until he is charged.
He has been in custody for three months without a court date, despite the fact that ICE initially promised him he would be deported within that time frame.
He described overcrowded conditions, where detainees slept on the floor and had limited access to restrooms.
“I feel like I am at my wits’ end,” he told me. “I rely on prayer.”
Taylor continues to help others despite his current situation. In the detention facility, he has taken on the role of barber, giving haircuts to other detainees to help them feel more normal.
“As long as I feel like I’m helping someone, I feel good,” he told me.
Despite being detained, Taylor has scheduled a free health fair in Dekalb County for March 22. His supporters and fiancée continue to advocate for his release, but his future remains uncertain because there is no upcoming court date.
“I pray that my immigration status is approved,” Taylor said. “That’s the only thing that can get me out of this situation.”
