Washington: The shocking and brutal killing of an Indian national in Dallas, Texas has prompted a sharp response from former U.S. President Donald Trump, who condemned the incident as a result of lax immigration enforcement under the Biden administration. Chandra Nagamallaiah, 41, was decapitated at the Downtown Suites motel on Samuell Boulevard on September 10, in front of his wife and 18-year-old son, by Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, a 37-year-old undocumented Cuban immigrant with a violent criminal history.
Trump took to his Truth Social platform, calling the attack “horrific” and asserting that the accused should never have been in the United States. “I am aware of the terrible reports regarding the murder of Chandra Nagamallaiah, a well-respected person in Dallas, Texas, who was brutally beheaded by an ILLEGAL ALIEN from Cuba,” he wrote. He promised that Martinez would face “murder in the first degree” charges and vowed to ensure that America would no longer be “soft” on criminal immigrants.
According to Trump, the accused had previously been arrested for crimes including child sexual abuse, grand theft auto, and false imprisonment, but was released back into the U.S. community under the Biden administration. “This individual was released 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!” Trump declared.
The incident, captured on CCTV at the motel, has shocked the nation. The footage shows Martinez violently attacking Nagamallaiah with a machete, ultimately decapitating him. In a gruesome aftermath, the perpetrator placed the victim’s head into a dumpster after kicking it into the motel parking lot.
U.S. authorities have acted swiftly following the public outcry. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) confirmed that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has initiated proceedings to remove Martinez from the country. DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin criticized the prior administration for releasing Martinez, describing the killing as “completely preventable” if the accused had remained in custody.
Martinez had been held at the Bluebonnet Detention Centre in Dallas under ICE supervision but was released on January 13, 2025, under an Order of Supervision issued by the Biden administration. The tragic case has reignited national debates over immigration enforcement, public safety, and the consequences of releasing criminal undocumented immigrants into U.S. communities.
This incident underscores ongoing tensions in U.S. immigration policy and raises questions about safeguarding vulnerable communities while balancing humanitarian and legal responsibilities toward undocumented individuals.