US Courts Halt Deportation of Indian-Origin Man Wrongfully Jailed for 43 Years

In a dramatic turn of events, two U.S. courts have ordered a halt to the deportation of Indian-origin man Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, who spent 43 years in a Pennsylvania prison for a murder he did not commit. Vedam, now 64, was released earlier this year after a court overturned his wrongful conviction — only to be detained immediately by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) for deportation proceedings.

Vedam, who arrived in the United States from India as an infant, grew up in Pennsylvania and has lived his entire life in the country. He was convicted in 1983 for the 1980 killing of a friend and sentenced to life imprisonment. His conviction was vacated in August 2025 when new ballistic evidence revealed that prosecutors had withheld critical information during the trial.

However, just hours after his release from state custody on October 3, Vedam was detained by ICE on grounds of a decades-old drug-related conviction, which authorities claimed still made him removable under U.S. immigration law. Federal officials argued that the overturned murder conviction did not erase his prior drug offense, which, they said, justified deportation to India — a country he left as a baby and has no ties to.

Vedam’s legal team called his detention “an untenable injustice,” arguing that deporting a man who was wrongly imprisoned for over four decades would amount to further punishment for crimes he did not commit. Advocates highlighted that Vedam has been rehabilitated, educated, and integrated into American society, with no meaningful connection to India.

Responding to the controversy, both an immigration judge and a U.S. District Court in Pennsylvania issued separate stays on Vedam’s deportation. The immigration court’s stay will remain in effect until the Board of Immigration Appeals reviews his case, while the district court’s order provides additional protection during the ongoing proceedings.

The case has drawn nationwide attention for exposing the complex overlap between wrongful convictions and immigration enforcement. Civil rights groups say it underscores the urgent need for legal reforms to prevent exonerated individuals from facing deportation after decades of injustice. For now, Vedam remains in ICE custody in Louisiana as his lawyers fight to secure his release and permanent residency status in the United States.