New Mexico AG sues child agency over teen sent to Mexico

Attorney General Raúl Torrez of New Mexico filed a lawsuit against the state Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), alleging the agency unlawfully removed a 15‑year‑old U.S. citizen from its custody and forced him to cross the U.S.–Mexico border to reunite with his mother in Mexico. The complaint says CYFD dismissed the teen’s case, escorted him to the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso, and then refused to assist his return when he sought to come back to the United States, prompting Texas officials to take him to Mexico.

The suit seeks a court declaration that CYFD’s actions violated state law and the teen’s constitutional rights, a temporary restraining order, the immediate return of the child to New Mexico, a proper best‑interest assessment, and an injunction preventing the agency from moving children across international borders without court approval. CYFD contends its actions were in the child’s best interests, citing virtual home visits and an assessment of the mother’s safety, and claims it acted with court approval.