After 43 Years in Prison, Subramanyam Vedam Faces Deportation

Mon Oct 20 2025 16:33:40 GMT+0300 (Eastern European Summer Time)

Subramanyam 'Subu' Vedam, who spent over four decades wrongfully imprisoned, is now fighting against deportation to India, a country he left as a baby. Learn more about his journey and the challenges he now faces.

Subramanyam ‘Subu’ Vedam was recently exonerated after serving 43 years for a murder he didn't commit. Just as he was freed, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) moved to deport him to India despite his having lived in the U.S. since he was a baby. Vedam’s family is now battling a deportation order, highlighting the absurdity of separating him from his family in America after enduring decades of injustice.

After serving 43 years in prison for a murder he did not commit, Subramanyam 'Subu' Vedam was finally free. New evidence had exonerated him earlier this month of the murder of his former roommate. But before he could reach his family's arms, Mr. Vedam was taken into custody by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who want to deport him to India - a country he has not lived in since he was a baby.

Now, Mr. Vedam's legal team is fighting a deportation order and his family is determined to get him out of custody, for good. His sister, Saraswathi Vedam, explained that he has gone from a facility where he knew inmates and guards to one where he shares a room with 60 men, a stark contrast to his previous environment.

His family is navigating a new and pressing situation, knowing that Mr. Vedam has maintained one message: 'I want us to focus on the win.' While he has been exonerated from the murder charge, his legal issues are far from over.

In the 1980s, Mr. Vedam was wrongfully convicted of murdering his former roommate, Tom Kinser. Kinser's mysterious disappearance and later discovery of his body led to Vedam's arrest. Despite a lack of physical evidence linking him to the crime, he was sentenced to life in prison. His battle for exoneration intensified when new evidence surfaced, leading to the District Attorney not pursuing further charges against him.

However, his legal troubles continued with an existing deportation order dating back to his earlier convictions. Federal authorities quickly detained him upon his release, leaving his family in shock. They argue that his long-standing good behavior and contributions to the community during his incarceration should be taken into account.

Mr. Vedam's family emphasizes that he has little connection to India, the target of ICE's deportation plans. Having lived in the U.S. since infancy, separation from his family now would be like losing his life a second time. His lawyer, Ava Benach, has described the impending deportation as another injustice in light of Vedam's wrongful conviction.