Wrongfully imprisoned for more than 40 years, Pennsylvania man now faces deportation by ICE

A US man wrongly imprisoned for over 40 years has been taken into custody by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) just days after being exonerated of murder charges. Subramanyam "Subu" Vedam, a Pennsylvania resident, spent nearly four decades behind bars for a crime he did not commit before new evidence surfaced clearing his name.

In a stunning turn of events, Vedam's family has been left reeling as ICE has announced plans to deport him back to India - the country where he was born but has lived in the US since he was nine months old. The 43-year-old, who is now a legal permanent resident and had his citizenship application accepted before being arrested, faces an uncertain future after being held without parole.

Vedam's exoneration earlier this month marked a major victory for his family and supporters, but it appears ICE has prioritized deportation over justice. His case highlights the often-arcane world of US immigration law, where mistakes can have catastrophic consequences for innocent individuals like Vedam.

The circumstances surrounding Vedam's detention are deeply concerning. Having been held in a facility with hundreds of other inmates, Vedam is being forced to navigate a new and unfamiliar environment after decades of familiarity behind bars. His supporters argue that his extensive record of good behavior, multiple degrees earned while incarcerated, and community service should be taken into account when determining his immigration status.

Vedam's family has expressed outrage at the swift action by ICE, stating they were not informed about the deportation plans until after Vedam had been held in custody. His sister, Saraswathi Vedam, described the situation as "terrible" and argued that deportation would be a second injustice for Vedam, who had already endured an unprecedented 43 years of wrongful imprisonment.

The story raises important questions about the US immigration system and its propensity to deport individuals based on past convictions rather than current circumstances. As Vedam's case unfolds, it remains to be seen whether justice will prevail or if he will face deportation to a country where his ties are weak at best - a situation that his family believes would rob him of yet another life.

This is a total disaster ! ICE should be congratulated for finally getting their act together and recognizing Vedam's innocence, instead of being hailed as heroes. I mean, who needs due process or basic human rights when you're deporting people? It's not like Vedam had his citizenship application accepted before being arrested, so why is he suddenly not good enough to stay? His case is a perfect example of how the US immigration system is designed to fail innocent people. And by the way, what's with all this hand-wringing about Vedam's "ties" to India? He was born there, but he's lived here for over 40 years – who cares if his family still lives in India? It's not like he can just pick up and move back whenever he wants. Deportation is a great idea, let's make it easier!

this is just ridiculous ICE is supposed to be about enforcing laws not punishing people for mistakes they didn't even make i dont get why Vedams citizenship wasnt more important than some technicality in immigration law his story is heartbreaking and unfair he didnt deserve 43 years of hell but now hes being sent back to a country where he has no real ties its just cruel

this is insane what is going on with ICE they should be celebrating Subu's exoneration not trying to deport him after 43 yrs in the slammer can't believe his own government would do this to someone who has spent half their life behind bars and just got out he had a good record while incarcerated too earned multiple degrees and did community service what more does he need to show for himself? it's like they're playing with people's lives like pawns in a game of immigration chess...this is not right

ICE is at it again ... I mean what's the point of exonerating someone from wrongful imprisonment and then sending them back to their home country? It's like, they're trying to rob Subu of his freedom all over again . I get that immigration laws are complicated, but this is just plain cruel. And to think he was just exonerated after 40+ years... now he's got a new fight on his hands . Prioritizing deportation over justice? No thanks . This whole situation stinks and I'm still waiting for someone to make some sense out of it

oh man this is so messed up !! ICE needs to get their priorities straight! 40+ years in the system, you'd think they'd be like "ok dude we made a mistake, let's give him a break" instead they're all about deporting him back to India... that's like sending someone to a country where they've never even lived

i drew a little diagram to try and illustrate the situation:
```
+---------------+
| ICE's Priorities |
+---------------+
|
|
v
+---------------+
| Wrongful Conviction |
| +-----------------+ |
| | New Evidence | |
| | Clears Name | |
| +-----------------+ |
+---------------+
```
anyway, the fact that Vedam's family didn't even get notified about the deportation plans until after he'd been held in custody is just infuriating . his sister Saraswathi's words sum up the situation perfectly: "terrible".

this is so messed up ice can't even get human rights right... Subu's been through enough, 43 yrs in prison and now they're gonna kick him out? he's a US citizen by law, what's the point of having that if they just gonna take it away from him? and to add insult to injury, his family wasn't even informed about the plans... that's just cruel. deportation shouldn't be based on past mistakes, especially not for something he didn't do. we need systemic change here, a more compassionate approach to immigration. Subu deserves better

OMG this is so not right Subu just went through 43 yrs of trauma and now ICE is gonna kick him out of the only home he's ever had since he was 9 months old?! Like, what even is the point of "justice" if it doesn't consider people's actual circumstances? He did good stuff in there like earning degrees and community service Subu should be a hero, not some deportation target His fam is already crying, and I'm literally just shaking my head thinking about this dude having to leave everything he loves behind...

omg this is so messed up subu has already been through so much and now ice is like screwing with him again? 40 yrs in prison is a lifetime, he's not even a kid anymore! and to be deported back to india when he's a legal permanent resident and had his citizenship app accepted? it's just cruel what about all the good he did while incarcerated like earning degrees and doing community service? shouldn't that count for something? i feel so bad for subu and his family, they're already dealing with the emotional trauma of him being wrongfully imprisoned... now they have to worry about deportation too? this is just a huge injustice, we need to speak out against ice's actions and fight for subu's rights

I'm telling you, this is some messed up stuff right now...ICE's priorities are seriously twisted. A guy spends 40 years in prison for something he didn't do and then they're gonna deport him to a country he's never even lived outside of? It's like they're not even considering the fact that his whole life has been turned upside down. And to make matters worse, his family wasn't even informed about the deportation plans until after it was already happening...it's just cruel.

And what really gets me is that this guy has done everything right. He earned degrees while he was in, he did community service...you'd think all that would count for something. But no, now he's just gotta face the music and risk being sent back to a place where he's barely even known anyone outside of his family. It's like they're trying to punish him twice...once for the crime he didn't commit, and then again for exercising some basic human rights as a citizen.

man this is just so messed up Subu got exonerated after 40 yrs in prison and now ICE is like "yeah let's deport you back to India" it's like they forgot he's been a US resident for half his life and has a family here too his case is like a nightmare come true how can they just ignore all the good deeds he did while locked up? multiple degrees earned in prison? community service? that's some next level stuff but I guess when you're in ICE, common sense goes out the window my heart goes out to Subu and his family, this is a total injustice

OMG this is so messed up Subu was exonerated and now ICE just wants to deport him back to India? like what's the point of justice if you're just gonna mess it up again? and his family wasn't even informed about the deportation plans until after he'd already been held in custody?! that's not right at all. I mean, Subu has a record now, but does that really justify kicking him out of the country when he was wrongly convicted for 40 years?! it's like they're more concerned with following procedure than doing what's right. anyway, this whole thing is just super frustrating

Ugh, this is so unfair ! I mean, come on ICE, you're supposed to be helping people get their lives back together after being wrongfully imprisoned, not deporting them like some kind of criminal again . Subu was just exonerated, what more proof do they need? He's been a model inmate, even got multiple degrees while in the system . It's like, he already lost 43 years of his life, can't we just give him a break? This whole thing is just a mess...

this is just ridiculous subu was already cleared of murder charges and exonerated, so deporting him now is like they're saying "sorry about the mistake, but you can still kick us out" what's next? taking away people's rights after they've served their time in prison?! his family has been through enough already, 43 years of wrongful imprisonment is not something to be taken lightly. and to make it worse, he's being held without parole this is a disaster, plain and simple. i just don't understand how the us immigration system can be so callous and heartless

man i just got the most epic new gaming headset and i'm literally not even mad anymore, but seriously have you guys played that new game "Eternity's Edge"? it's like, whoa , they really did their research on those sci-fi spaceships and environments... anyway back to Vedam dude, 43 years in the hole for a crime he didn't commit? what even is the point of having an immigration system if you're just gonna deport someone for a mistake that was made like, decades ago?

my heart is breaking for Subu and his family they deserve so much better after going through 43 yrs of trauma & injustice...ICE's priorities should be on helping ppl like Subu rebuild their lives, not deporting them back to a country where they were born but have spent most of their life in the US...what's next? deporting ppl with disabilities or those who've served their time? this is just another example of how messed up our immigration system is