Just Released
📅 November 2025

Visa Bulletin is Out!

Check your priority dates and filing information now

View Details →
Spanish
VisaVerge official logo in Light white color VisaVerge official logo in Light white color
  • Home
  • Airlines
  • H1B
  • Immigration
    • Knowledge
    • Questions
    • Documentation
  • News
  • Visa
    • Canada
    • F1Visa
    • Passport
    • Green Card
    • H1B
    • OPT
    • PERM
    • Travel
    • Travel Requirements
    • Visa Requirements
  • USCIS
  • Questions
    • Australia Immigration
    • Green Card
    • H1B
    • Immigration
    • Passport
    • PERM
    • UK Immigration
    • USCIS
    • Legal
    • India
    • NRI
  • Guides
    • Taxes
    • Legal
  • Tools
    • H-1B Maxout Calculator Online
    • REAL ID Requirements Checker tool
    • ROTH IRA Calculator Online
    • TSA Acceptable ID Checker Online Tool
    • H-1B Registration Checklist
    • Schengen Short-Stay Visa Calculator
    • H-1B Cost Calculator Online
    • USA Merit Based Points Calculator – Proposed
    • Canada Express Entry Points Calculator
    • New Zealand’s Skilled Migrant Points Calculator
    • Resources Hub
    • Visa Photo Requirements Checker Online
    • I-94 Expiration Calculator Online
    • CSPA Age-Out Calculator Online
    • OPT Timeline Calculator Online
    • B1/B2 Tourist Visa Stay Calculator online
  • Schengen
VisaVergeVisaVerge
Search
Follow US
  • Home
  • Airlines
  • H1B
  • Immigration
  • News
  • Visa
  • USCIS
  • Questions
  • Guides
  • Tools
  • Schengen
© 2025 VisaVerge Network. All Rights Reserved.
Immigration

Exonerated Prisoner Faces Deportation to India After 43 Years in U.S.

After 43 years behind bars, Subramanyam Vedam was exonerated on October 3, 2025 but immediately detained by ICE under a dormant 1980s removal order tied to a youthful LSD plea. Advocates urge rescission, arguing deportation would be a second injustice for a lifelong U.S. resident with no ties to India.

Last updated: October 16, 2025 2:12 pm
SHARE
VisaVerge.com
📋
Key takeaways
Vedam, exonerated October 3, 2025 after 43 years in prison, was immediately detained by ICE under an old removal order.
The removal order traces to a 1980s guilty plea for intent to distribute LSD when Vedam was 19 and unpaid during his life sentence.
As of October 16, 2025, Vedam remains at Moshannon Valley Processing Center while advocates seek rescission of the legacy deportation order.

(PENNSYLVANIA, UNITED STATES) U.S. immigration authorities are moving to deport Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, an Indian-born man who spent 43 years in a Pennsylvania prison for a murder he did not commit and was fully cleared this month. Vedam, 64, was exonerated and released on October 3, 2025, then immediately taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a decades-old removal order tied to a non-violent drug case from his youth—not the long-voided murder conviction.

Vedam arrived in the United States as an infant and grew up as a lawful permanent resident. He never became a U.S. citizen. In 1982, police arrested him for the shooting death of his friend, Thomas Kinser. A jury convicted him in 1983 on circumstantial evidence, and he received a life sentence without parole. That conviction collapsed after the Pennsylvania Innocence Project uncovered withheld records showing the bullet did not match the supposed murder weapon, leading the court to throw out the case and dismiss all charges.

Exonerated Prisoner Faces Deportation to India After 43 Years in U.S.
Exonerated Prisoner Faces Deportation to India After 43 Years in U.S.

The exoneration made Vedam the longest-serving exoneree in Pennsylvania history. But freedom lasted minutes. As he walked out of state custody, ICE agents detained him based on a “legacy deportation order” dating to the 1980s. That order stems from a guilty plea for intent to distribute LSD when he was 19. Because he had been serving a life sentence, immigration officers never executed the order. With his exoneration, ICE reactivated it and started deportation processing.

ICE says the agency is acting on his “criminal past” and a standing removal order, arguing that people with final orders are enforcement priorities. In statements cited by advocates, ICE described him as a “career criminal,” a label his lawyers and family strongly reject. They note he spent his entire adult life behind bars for a crime he did not commit and has no record of violence outside the wrongful murder case.

Legal posture and advocacy surge

Vedam is currently held at the Moshannon Valley Processing Center in Pennsylvania and faces imminent removal to India, a country he last saw at nine months old. He has no family ties there.

📝 Note
If advising someone exonerated after a long detention, verify all old removal orders promptly and request discretionary relief before any immigration actions proceed.

Immigration lawyers and civil rights groups are urging authorities to rescind the removal order, calling deportation after exoneration a new layer of harm on top of decades of wrongful imprisonment. They argue that, had Vedam not been wrongly convicted in 1983, he likely would have challenged the immigration case in the 1980s and might have avoided removal altogether.

According to analysis by VisaVerge.com, cases like Vedam’s often turn on old orders that resurface after major changes in a person’s criminal case or custody status. Advocates say the stakes are especially high for longtime residents who entered the country as children and know no other home. They warn that deporting an exoneree under a decades-old order sends a chilling message to families who believed freedom would follow justice.

As of October 16, 2025, no public record shows ICE rescinded the old order or released Vedam. Public outcry has spread nationwide and abroad, with supporters stressing that his exoneration should count for more than a youthful drug offense from more than four decades ago. They point to the nature of the LSD case—non-violent—and ask for fairness after the state itself admitted it locked up the wrong man.

“Deportation after exoneration is a new layer of harm,” say legal advocates. They stress that decades behind bars robbed Vedam of the chance to contest the immigration consequences earlier.

Background and broader stakes

The timeline is stark:

  1. 1982 — Vedam was arrested for the murder of Thomas Kinser.
  2. 1983 — He was convicted and sentenced to life without parole.
  3. 2022 — The Pennsylvania Innocence Project found withheld ballistics evidence undermining the conviction.
  4. October 3, 2025 — A court dismissed all charges and released him. Immediately, ICE reasserted a removal order from the 1980s that had been dormant while he served his life term. He was transferred straight into immigration detention.

Supporters say this sequence shows how wrongful convictions can ripple across a person’s entire life, even after a court clears their name. An old immigration case that might have been resolved in the 1980s is now driving a fast-track removal in 2025. Legal scholars note that decades in prison often mean lost evidence, lost witnesses, and lost chances to seek relief that may have been available in real time.

Family members say Vedam’s entire community is in the United States 🇺🇸. They worry he would land in India with no support, no home, and no memory of the country beyond childhood pictures. They also stress his age and health after 43 years in a cell, urging immigration officials to show restraint.

Advocates are asking ICE leadership to exercise discretion and allow him to remain while they seek ways to resolve the old order.

ICE position and where to find official guidance

ICE has signaled that final orders carry weight and that the agency prioritizes people with such orders. The agency’s enforcement mission includes removing individuals with standing removal decisions.

⚠️ Important
Old removal orders can be reactivated after exoneration; act quickly to challenge or seek prosecutorial discretion to avoid deportation.

For official information about how the agency carries out removals and detention, readers can consult ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations. That general guidance explains how ICE manages custody and removal for people with final orders.

Key legal and humanitarian arguments from advocates

  • The case is not about retrying the drug offense; the question is whether a decades-old order should control the fate of a man the state now admits it wrongly imprisoned.
  • Immigration law should account for the realities of wrongful convictions, including the lost chance to mount a defense in immigration court decades earlier.
  • Deporting longtime residents who never naturalized—and who were brought to the U.S. as infants—raises acute humanitarian concerns.

Supporters emphasize that Vedam’s life has been defined by one injustice already. They say deportation now would be a second punishment for a person the state now recognizes as an exoneree.

Public response and next steps

  • Faith groups, community leaders, and immigrant rights organizations continue to call for the removal order to be lifted.
  • They are pressing for policy changes to prevent similar cases, especially for people brought to the United States as infants who have no ties elsewhere.
  • Vedam’s lawyers are pursuing every legal avenue to stop his deportation to India.
🔔 Reminder
Track key dates: court rulings, exoneration, and any ICE deadlines to file stays or appeals—missing a deadline can criticaly limit options.

For now, Vedam remains in ICE custody in Pennsylvania. His lawyers and supporters say the next weeks will decide whether he can rebuild a life in the only country he has ever known, or whether a legacy order from the 1980s will send him thousands of miles away from his family and home.

Critical deadlines and warnings: With immigration proceedings moving quickly after his release, time-sensitive legal filings and requests for prosecutorial discretion are likely the immediate focus for his defense team.

VisaVerge.com
Learn Today
exoneration → A legal declaration that a person previously convicted is innocent or that charges are dismissed.
removal order → An immigration decision directing that a non-citizen be deported from the United States.
legacy deportation order → An old, previously unexecuted removal order from prior decades that can be reactivated by immigration authorities.
Moshannon Valley Processing Center → An ICE immigration detention facility in Pennsylvania where Vedam is being held.
Pennsylvania Innocence Project → A legal nonprofit that investigates wrongful convictions and seeks to exonerate innocent people.
intent to distribute LSD → A criminal plea admitting intent to sell or distribute the drug LSD, a non-violent offense in Vedam’s case.
final order → An immigration decision that is administratively or judicially final and eligible for enforcement action.

This Article in a Nutshell

Subramanyam Vedam, who spent 43 years imprisoned for a murder he did not commit, was exonerated and released October 3, 2025 after the Pennsylvania Innocence Project uncovered withheld ballistics evidence. Immediately upon release, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained him under a decades-old removal order tied to a youthful guilty plea for intent to distribute LSD that remained unexecuted while he served a life sentence. Advocates and lawyers argue deportation would compound the injustice of wrongful imprisonment, noting Vedam entered the U.S. as an infant and has no ties to India. As of October 16, 2025, he remains detained at Moshannon Valley Processing Center while legal teams press ICE to rescind the legacy order and pursue prosecutorial discretion or other remedies to prevent removal.

— VisaVerge.com
Share This Article
Facebook Pinterest Whatsapp Whatsapp Reddit Email Copy Link Print
What do you think?
Happy0
Sad0
Angry0
Embarrass0
Surprise0
Shashank Singh
ByShashank Singh
Breaking News Reporter
Follow:
As a Breaking News Reporter at VisaVerge.com, Shashank Singh is dedicated to delivering timely and accurate news on the latest developments in immigration and travel. His quick response to emerging stories and ability to present complex information in an understandable format makes him a valuable asset. Shashank's reporting keeps VisaVerge's readers at the forefront of the most current and impactful news in the field.
Subscribe
Login
Notify of
guest

guest

0 Comments
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
U.S. Visa Invitation Letter Guide with Sample Letters
Visa

U.S. Visa Invitation Letter Guide with Sample Letters

U.S. Re-entry Requirements After International Travel
Knowledge

U.S. Re-entry Requirements After International Travel

Opening a Bank Account in the UK for US Citizens: A Guide for Expats
Knowledge

Opening a Bank Account in the UK for US Citizens: A Guide for Expats

Guide to Filling Out the Customs Declaration Form 6059B in the US
Travel

Guide to Filling Out the Customs Declaration Form 6059B in the US

How to Get a B-2 Tourist Visa for Your Parents
Guides

How to Get a B-2 Tourist Visa for Your Parents

How to Fill Form I-589: Asylum Application Guide
Guides

How to Fill Form I-589: Asylum Application Guide

Visa Requirements and Documents for Traveling to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)
Knowledge

Visa Requirements and Documents for Traveling to Cote d’Ivoire (Ivory Coast)

Renew Indian Passport in USA: Step-by-Step Guide
Knowledge

Renew Indian Passport in USA: Step-by-Step Guide

You Might Also Like

Sam Jones Departs Australia After Uproar Over Baby Wombat Incident
Australia Immigration

Sam Jones Departs Australia After Uproar Over Baby Wombat Incident

By Jim Grey
Amazon and Google Halt Green Card Applications Amid Layoffs
News

Amazon and Google Halt Green Card Applications Amid Layoffs

By Oliver Mercer
American Airlines Faces Massive Travel Havoc With 74 Cancellations Across JFK, PHL, DFW
Airlines

American Airlines Faces Massive Travel Havoc With 74 Cancellations Across JFK, PHL, DFW

By Oliver Mercer
Falsifying Tax Returns Risks Losing U.S. Citizenship Under Trump
Citizenship

Falsifying Tax Returns Risks Losing U.S. Citizenship Under Trump

By Jim Grey
Show More
VisaVerge official logo in Light white color VisaVerge official logo in Light white color
Facebook Twitter Youtube Rss Instagram Android

About US


At VisaVerge, we understand that the journey of immigration and travel is more than just a process; it’s a deeply personal experience that shapes futures and fulfills dreams. Our mission is to demystify the intricacies of immigration laws, visa procedures, and travel information, making them accessible and understandable for everyone.

Trending
  • Canada
  • F1Visa
  • Guides
  • Legal
  • NRI
  • Questions
  • Situations
  • USCIS
Useful Links
  • History
  • Holidays 2025
  • LinkInBio
  • My Feed
  • My Saves
  • My Interests
  • Resources Hub
  • Contact USCIS
VisaVerge

2025 © VisaVerge. All Rights Reserved.

  • About US
  • Community Guidelines
  • Contact US
  • Cookie Policy
  • Disclaimer
  • Ethics Statement
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms and Conditions
wpDiscuz
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?