Georgia State Rep. and gubernatorial candidate Ruwa Romman hosted a press conference on the steps of the Georgia State Capitol on Thursday morning in solidarity with Minnesota and anti-ICE protests across the nation. The conference comes just days after federal agents shot and killed Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old ICU nurse, in Minneapolis. The shooting marks another violent and fatal incident resulting from ICE’s occupation of Minnesota.
When she took the stand, Romman noted that Georgia had the fourth-highest rate for ICE arrests in the country for 2025. According to the Deportation Data Project, Georgia had 8,742 ICE arrests in 2025.
“Legislators from all around the country were invited to stand in solidarity with the people of Minnesota as they navigate the escalating terror that ICE and the Trump administration are inflicting on their state. The reality is that this administration is making it clear that it is targeting all of us. So, to our friends in Minnesota, you are not alone. Georgians stand with you.”
Romman was joined by State Reps. Marvin Lim, Segun Adeyina, and Eric Bell. She was also joined by Micaela Lattimer, an organizer for Dialogue Collaborative; Murtaza Khwaja, ED of Asian Americans Advancing Justice; and Annette Aguilar, community organizer for the Georgia Latino Association for Human Rights.
The conference was a way to show support for Minnesota residents, but it also focused on the impact of ICE in Georgia. Mildred Pierre stood at the front of the steps with a sign that read “Free Rodney Taylor.” Taylor is a double amputee and a Georgia barber who has been detained by ICE since January 15, 2025, at the Stewart Detention Center. Pierre, his fiancé, has been advocating for his release.
“Today, Rodney is in ICE custody, where his health is rapidly fading. ICE has failed to provide necessary and timely medical care, forcing him to endure new diagnoses that he did not have prior to detention, including neuropathy, bone spurs, and uncontrolled high blood pressure,” Pierre said. “As of yesterday, the warden at Stuart Center informed him that accommodations will no longer be provided. I cried. That means Rodney will starve to death. He does not have the physical capability to walk. Rodney does not have any feet.”
Pierre said the denial of accommodation includes no access to food, showers, or medical care. She shared that, due to safety concerns, Rodney is also required to wear his prosthetics for 24 hours, against the recommended eight hours.
Leaders at the conference emphasized that these acts of violence and lack of care are not isolated incidents and called for action, justice, and for humanity to be restored.
“I know many Georgians are scared, but we are not powerless. Join your local organizations. Attend Know Your Rights streams, be there for and with your neighbors. There are way more of us than there are of them. Now is the time to be great,” Romman said. “Look at Minnesota. Look at all of you. Then we’ll get better tomorrow, but it’s going to require all of us to fight for it.”