Trump condemns Biden’s weak immigration policy after Indian-origin murder
The brutal assault, witnessed by his wife and 18-year-old son, has profoundly shaken and distressed the close-knit Indian-American community nationwide.
Houston: Former U.S. President Donald Trump has sharply criticized America’s immigration policy, blaming it for the gruesome killing of an Indian-origin motel manager in Dallas. The victim, 50-year-old Chandra Mouli “Bob” Nagamallaiah, originally from Karnataka, was brutally attacked with a machete on September 10 at the Downtown Suites Motel, where he both lived and worked.
The accused, 37-year-old Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, an undocumented immigrant from Cuba with a prior criminal record, has been charged with capital murder. According to reports, the horrifying attack unfolded in front of Nagamallaiah’s wife and his 18-year-old son, leaving the family and the wider Indian-American community shattered.
Taking to Truth Social, his own media platform, Trump described the suspect as an “Illegal Alien” who should never have been free in the first place. “Being soft on these Illegal Immigrant Criminals is OVER,” he declared, pointing directly at President Joe Biden’s immigration policies, which he claims allowed such a tragedy to occur. Trump argued that under his administration, individuals with prior records would have been deported swiftly.
Immigration officials later confirmed that Cobos-Martinez had indeed been in U.S. custody before, but his deportation could not be carried out earlier this year because Cuba refused to take him back. This revelation has reignited a long-standing debate over how U.S. authorities should respond when foreign governments decline to accept deportees, a problem that has frustrated successive administrations.
For the Indian-American community, however, the political debate fades in comparison to the deep personal grief. Friends and relatives describe Nagamallaiah as a hardworking, kind-hearted man who devoted his life to providing for his family. His tragic death, carried out in such a brutal and public way, has left many fearful and mourning.
On September 13, Nagamallaiah’s funeral was held in Flower Mound, Texas, where family, close friends, and community members gathered to pay their respects. The ceremony was heavy with emotion, as mourners remembered him as a devoted husband, loving father, and a man who never hesitated to help others.
In the wake of his passing, a fundraiser was launched to support the grieving family. The response has been overwhelming, with contributions exceeding USD 321,326, a reflection of the deep sympathy and solidarity from people across the country. Donors have shared messages of sorrow and support, hoping to ease the immense burden faced by Nagamallaiah’s wife and son as they navigate life without him.
While the tragedy has sparked national discussions on border control, deportation policies, and immigration enforcement, at its heart lies a deeply human story of loss. For the Nagamallaiah family, and for countless Indian-Americans, the memory of that night will remain an unhealed wound, reminding everyone that behind every policy debate are real lives forever changed.