US System Wrongfully Imprisons Man, Then Deports Him
Subramanyam Vedam, a Pennsylvania man wrongfully imprisoned for over four decades, is finally free—only to be immediately shackled by ICE for deportation to India. The Independent frames this as a tragic consequence of bureaucratic inertia, omitting the systemic cruelty that is par for the course for immigrants in the US justice apparatus. (Yes, 'just us'.) This isn't an anomaly; it's a feature.
The US has a rich history of celebrating 'freedom' while simultaneously dehumanizing and expelling non-citizens, whether they’ve served time for someone else’s crime or not. One might question if the commitment to 'justice' extends past citizens, or if 'due process' simply means 'detention until deportation' for those with the wrong passport. (Spoiler: it doesn't, and it does.)