US Court Blocks Deportation of Indian-Origin Man Wrongfully Imprisoned for 43 Years

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA: After spending more than four decades in prison for a crime he never committed, an Indian-origin man in the United States now faces a new battle — deportation. Subramanyam Vedam, who was brought to the U.S. as an infant and has lived in Pennsylvania throughout his life, was recently exonerated when it was revealed that prosecutors had concealed vital evidence during his original trial.

Following the overturning of his wrongful conviction, Vedam was not released freely but instead sent directly to an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detention center in Louisiana. Immigration officials are seeking his removal based on a decades-old drug-related case, despite his lifelong residence in the country.

Two federal courts have temporarily stopped his deportation, providing a brief reprieve, though the legal struggle over his right to remain in the U.S. continues.