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 just as he thought he could reunite with his family, Mr. Vedam was taken into custody by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who want to deport him to India—a place he hasn't called home since he was a baby.

Now, Vedam's legal team is fighting a deportation order while his family works tirelessly to secure his release for good. His sister, Saraswathi Vedam, expressed the complexities of his new situation, transitioning from a familiar prison environment to a detention center where he now shares a room with 60 others—his history of good behavior unknown to those surrounding him.

Despite the daunting circumstances, Mr. Vedam remains hopeful and focused, telling his family, I want us to focus on the win, after his name was cleared. While he relishes his freedom from being labeled a prisoner, he now faces the threat of deportation.

In 1980, Mr. Vedam was wrongfully convicted of murdering his former roommate, Tom Kinser. Kinser's body was later found with a bullet wound, although there was no physical evidence linking Vedam to the crime. Initially arrested after requesting a ride from Kinser, Vedam's life spiraled downwards following the conviction that forced him to spend over 40 years behind bars.

Vedam continued to assert his innocence throughout his incarceration, and the new evidence that eventually led to his exoneration vindicated him. However, despite the triumph of proving his innocence, the cloud of a deportation order still hangs heavily over him.

Following multiple appeals over the years, new evidence prompted District Attorney Bernie Cantorna to decline pursuing a retrial against Vedam. While his family hoped for a fresh start, they discovered a significant hurdle remained—ICE was prepared to enforce a deportation order stemming from his past convictions. Although he was exonerated of murder, a drug conviction still complicates his immigration status.

Vedam's family has argued that deporting him to India, where he has no meaningful connections, would be an additional injustice for someone who already faced wrongful incarceration. Born in India, he moved to the US at nine months old and has since built his life and family here. His sister expressed concern over the family's future without him, labeling the situation as akin to having his life stolen twice.

Subramanyam Vedam's case raises critical questions about justice, rehabilitation, and human rights in the immigration system, as his family continues their fight in the hope of keeping him in the land he has always called home.