Trump blames Biden’s immigration policy for Indian-origin motel manager’s murder

The brutal killing of an Indian-origin man in Dallas has snowballed into a political flashpoint in the US, with President Donald Trump blaming Joe Biden’s immigration policy for the crime.

Fifty-year-old Chandra Nagamallaiah, a native of Karnataka, was hacked to death with a machete in front of his wife and son at a Dallas motel on September 10. The police arrested the accused, 37-year-old Cuban national Yordanis Cobos-Martinez, at the scene. Investigators said the attack followed a quarrel over a broken washing machine at the motel.

According to the police, Cobos-Martinez repeatedly stabbed Nagamallaiah before beheading him.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump described Nagamallaiah as “a well-respected person” and labelled the accused an “ILLEGAL ALIEN from Cuba” who should never have been in the US. He claimed Cobos-Martinez had a record of serious crimes, but was released because Cuba refused to take him back. “The time for being soft on these illegal immigrant criminals is OVER under my watch,” Trump declared, vowing murder charges and praising his security team for “making America safe again”.

Earlier, the Consulate General of India in Houston expressed condolences and said it is assisting Nagamallaiah’s family. “The accused is in custody and we are following up on the matter closely,” it had said.