Immigration court halts deportation of man after his 43-year-old murder conviction is overturned.

The Board of Immigration Appeals has issued a temporary halt to the deportation of Subramanyam “Subu” Vedam, a 64-year-old man recently freed from prison in Pennsylvania after his murder conviction was overturned. This decision comes in light of Vedam’s prolonged legal battle, during which he spent more than four decades incarcerated for the 1980 shooting death of his high school classmate in Centre County.

Vedam was convicted in two separate trials, first in 1983 and again in 1988, for the murder of 19-year-old Thomas Kinser, whose body was discovered in a sinkhole near State College. Throughout the years, Vedam maintained his innocence, consistently asserting he did not commit the crime. Earlier this year, a Centre County judge overturned his conviction, determining that critical evidence—specifically an FBI report—had been unlawfully withheld from his trial attorneys.

Following the overturning of his conviction, state prosecutors dropped all charges against Vedam last month, resulting in his release from a life sentence. However, upon his release, federal immigration authorities swiftly took him into custody, citing a standing deportation order stemming from a separate drug conviction from the 1980s. Vedam, originally from India and a permanent legal resident of the United States, had faced deportation due to this earlier conviction for possessing and intending to distribute LSD.

Vedam’s legal team recognizes the validity of the deportation order given the drug conviction. However, they have petitioned the Board of Immigration Appeals, requesting a review of the case and an exercise of discretion in his favor. It is currently unclear how soon the Board will address this request or whether Vedam will be granted the relief his attorneys seek. Nonetheless, court documents confirm that the Board has put a temporary freeze on his deportation while deliberations continue.

Living in the U.S. since he was just nine months old, Vedam has established deep roots in the community, including family ties with his sister, an American citizen, and a network of supportive relatives and friends. His attorneys argue that deporting him at this stage would result in a profound injustice. As he awaits the outcome of his case, the implications of Vedam’s situation underscore ongoing debates surrounding immigration law and the complexities of criminal justice reform.

Media News Source