Trump calls slain Indian-origin motel manager 'well-respected', flags immigration issue

US President Donald Trump has described the Indian-origin motel manager brutally beheaded in Dallas as a “well-respected person” and said the accused in the case will be charged with first-degree murder.

Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, 50, was killed last week at the Downtown Suites motel by co-worker Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a 37-year-old undocumented Cuban immigrant with a violent criminal history.

In his first comments on the heinous killing, Trump blamed his predecessor President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, calling the attacker an “illegal alien” who should have been deported.

“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 have never been in our country,” Trump said in a post on Truth Social on Sunday.

He said the criminal, who is in custody, “will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the Law. He will be charged with murder in the first degree.” The US president added that the accused in the case was previously arrested for “terrible crimes”, including child sex abuse, grand theft auto, and false imprisonment, but was released back into the homeland under “incompetent” former president Biden because Cuba did not want “such an evil person in their country." “Rest assured, the time for being soft on these illegal immigrant criminals is over under my watch! Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, Attorney General Pam Bondi, Border Czar Tom Homan, and many others in my Administration, are doing an incredible job in making America safe again,” he said.

Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka, was attacked with a machete in the motel where he lived and worked.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi said he is horrified by Nagamallaiah's brutal murder, stressing that he was a hardworking Indian-American immigrant killed in front of his wife and 18-year-old son.

"My deepest condolences go to his family. The perpetrator must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law.” Cobos-Martinez was released from ICE custody earlier this year after Cuba refused to accept his deportation due to his criminal record.

Assistant Secretary of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin said the case underscores broader immigration challenges.

”This is exactly why the Trump Administration was removing criminal illegal aliens to third countries such as Uganda and South Sudan," she said, pointing out policy gaps that allowed the suspect to remain in the country despite a deportation order.

The Consulate General of India in Houston is closely monitoring the case and providing consular support.

Consul General DC Manjunath said the consulate "is in contact with the family and local authorities, offering all necessary assistance.” The Indian-American community expressed shock and grief.

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad of America condemned the killing, calling it part of a disturbing national trend.

"These tragedies highlight an alarming societal breakdown where political discord erodes cohesion, violence spreads unchecked, and government responses are mere lip service.

We demand full investigations and a national inquiry into America's collapsing civil dialogue," it said.

Indiaspora, a global network of Indian-origin leaders, said it was "deeply saddened and horrified by the brutality of this crime" and condemned the violent act "in the strongest possible terms." "Every person deserves safety and dignity regardless of identity," it said.

Suhag Shukla, Executive Director of the Hindu American Foundation, said the community was "shaken again" by the brutal beheading, and added, "In times like this, we must remember our shared humanity and choose patience and acceptance over violence." Dallas Police have confirmed the killing was recorded on motel CCTV cameras.

Cobos-Martinez remains jailed without bond pending trial.

Nagamallaiah's funeral took place on September 13 in Flower Mound, Texas, attended by close family and friends.

A fundraiser to support his family has raised over USD 321,326. The killing has renewed debate over immigration enforcement and the challenges US authorities face when countries decline to accept deportees.