A Pennsylvania man who spent more than four decades in prison for a murder he did not commit is now facing deportation to India after being taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The case of Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, 64, has sparked outrage among advocates, who say he should be allowed to remain in the United States, the country where he has lived since infancy.

Exoneration After 40 Years Behind Bars

Earlier this month, murder charges against Vedam were dismissed by Centre County’s district attorney after new evidence surfaced in the 1980 killing of 19-year-old college student Tom Kinser. Vedam, who was convicted in 1983 and sentenced to life in prison, had maintained his innocence throughout his incarceration. His case was revisited in 2021, leading to his exoneration, making him the longest-incarcerated person in Pennsylvania to be cleared of a wrongful conviction.

Immediate ICE Detention Following Release

Despite his exoneration, Vedam was taken into ICE custody shortly after his release, due to a decades-old deportation order issued in 1988. The order was based on his now-vacated murder and drug convictions. ICE has since labeled Vedam a “career criminal” and a “convicted controlled substance trafficker,” allegations his attorneys strongly dispute. He is currently being held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center, an immigration detention facility in Philipsburg, Pennsylvania.

Legal and Family Response

Vedam’s attorney, Ava Benach, condemned ICE’s actions, arguing that Vedam has lived in the US since he was nine months old, arriving as a lawful permanent resident with his family. She emphasized that Vedam was still legally a permanent resident and in the process of becoming a citizen when he was wrongfully arrested in 1982. Benach stated that after losing more than 40 years to a crime he did not commit, Vedam deserves the chance to rebuild his life in the country he has always called home.

Vedam’s niece, Zoë Miller-Vedam, expressed her family’s anguish, saying, “All we want is for him to be home with us and to be able to move forward in life.” The family has been waiting anxiously for updates on his immigration case as they fight to prevent his deportation.

Background of the Case

Vedam was accused of murdering his former roommate, Kinser, in 1980 after Kinser disappeared from State College, Pennsylvania. His body was discovered nine months later in a wooded area with a gunshot wound. Despite the case being built on circumstantial evidence, Vedam was convicted and denied bail, with prosecutors labeling him a “foreigner likely to flee.” His passport and green card were seized, and he later received an additional drug-related sentence that ran concurrently with his life term.

A Continuing Struggle for Justice

The case has reignited debate over the treatment of exonerated individuals in the US immigration system. Legal experts have pointed out that deporting Vedam based on vacated convictions undermines the purpose of exoneration and violates principles of justice. His supporters are now calling on ICE to release him immediately and allow him to remain in the US, emphasizing that he has no remaining criminal record and poses no threat to public safety.