A Pennsylvania man whose murder conviction was overturned after 43 years in prison now faces deportation linked to a decades-old drug case. Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, 64, was released earlier this month after new ballistics evidence cleared him in the 1980 killing of his friend, Thomas Kinser. But instead of returning home, Vedam was taken into U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) custody due to a 1999 deportation order stemming from a 1980s drug conviction.
Vedam immigrated from India to State College, Pennsylvania, as an infant and spent most of his life in the U.S. His lawyers argue that the deportation order should be reconsidered given the “profound injustice” of his wrongful imprisonment. Immigration attorney Ava Benach said, “Forty-three years of wrongful imprisonment more than makes up for the possession with intent to distribute LSD when he was 20.”
The Department of Homeland Security, however, opposes reopening the case, stating, “Criminal illegal aliens are not welcome in the U.S.” Vedam’s family and supporters have urged compassion, emphasizing his clean record, academic achievements, and mentorship of inmates while incarcerated.
He remains at a federal detention facility in central Pennsylvania as his lawyers petition the Board of Immigration Appeals to halt deportation proceedings.
Sources:
Discover more from News Facts Network
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
