Trump on Dallas beheading: Victim was ‘well-respected’, immigration policy at fault

US President Donald Trump has described the Indian-origin motel manager who was brutally beheaded in Dallas as a “well-respected person”, vowing that the suspect will face first-degree murder charges.

Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, 50, originally from Karnataka, was killed last week at the Downtown Suites motel where he lived and worked. Police said he was attacked with a machete by co-worker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a 37-year-old Cuban national with a history of violent crime who was in the United States unlawfully.

In his first remarks on the case, President Trump said the crime could have been prevented, alleging that his predecessor Joe Biden’s immigration policies had allowed “an illegal alien” with a record of serious offences to remain in the country.

“I am aware of the terrible reports regarding the murder of Chandra Nagamallaiah, a well-respected person in Dallas, Texas, who was brutally beheaded in front of his wife and son by an illegal alien from Cuba who should never have been here,” Trump said in a statement on Truth Social.

He confirmed that Cobos-Martinez, who is currently in custody, will be prosecuted “to the fullest extent of the law” and charged with murder in the first degree.

According to Trump, the accused had previously been arrested for crimes including child sexual abuse, grand theft auto and false imprisonment, but was released from immigration detention after Cuba refused to take him back.

“Rest assured, the time for being soft on illegal immigrant criminals is over under my watch,” Trump said, crediting his administration’s senior officials for tightening border and deportation measures.

The incident has sparked shock and grief within the Indian-American community and renewed debate on immigration enforcement. Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he was “horrified” by the killing of a “hardworking Indian-American immigrant” and called for the perpetrator to face the maximum penalty under the law.

US homeland security officials acknowledged that the case highlights gaps in current immigration policy. Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said it demonstrated why the Trump administration had sought to remove criminal aliens to third countries when their homelands refused repatriation.

The Consulate General of India in Houston has been assisting Nagamallaiah’s family. Consul General DC Manjunath confirmed the mission is “in contact with the family and local authorities, providing all necessary support”.

Community organisations have issued strong condemnations. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America described the crime as part of a “disturbing national trend” of violence and political discord, while Indiaspora said it was “deeply saddened and horrified by the brutality of this crime”.

The Hindu American Foundation’s Suhag Shukla added that the community was “shaken again” by such a tragedy, urging society to choose “patience and acceptance over violence”.

Dallas Police confirmed that the attack was captured on the motel’s CCTV system. Cobos-Martinez remains in jail without bond, awaiting trial.

Nagamallaiah’s funeral was held on 13 September in Flower Mound, Texas, with family and close friends in attendance. A fundraiser to support his wife and 18-year-old son has already raised over USD 321,000.

With PTI input