What changed
2026-07-30 23:04 UTC → 2026-07-30 23:04 UTC ·
added
removed
New Mexico Attorney General Raúl Torrez filed a Torrez’s civil lawsuit against the state alleges that New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) alleging that agency staff drove a 15‑year‑old U.S. citizen to the El Paso bridge on July 6, instructed 2024, left him to walk across alone, and left then abandoned him at the border after he tried to return. The teen was then taken into placed under Texas protective‑services custody before being transferred to protective services and later reunited with his mother in Mexico. The complaint notes that the mother, a Mexican national, had been arrested on drug‑related charges and deported earlier in the year, prompting the cross‑border reunion. Torrez seeks a court declaration that CYFD violated state law and the teen’s constitutional rights, a temporary restraining order to block any future out‑of‑country reunifications without judicial approval, the teen’s child’s immediate return to New Mexico for Mexico, a proper best‑interest assessment, and an injunction preventing the agency from moving children across against international borders transfers without court authorization. The complaint adds He also alleges that the teen’s mother, a Mexican national, had been arrested on drug‑related charges and deported earlier in the year, prompting her return to Mexico. Torrez quoted, “The State of New Mexico cannot claim to protect children while abandoning one of its own at an international border.” CYFD argues its actions were in the child’s best interests, citing virtual home visits and safety concerns, and claims it acted with court approval. U.S. Customs and Border Protection reportedly urged CYFD to drive the child back, but the agency allegedly staff refused, labeling calling the situation incident a “Texas problem.” CYFD argues it acted in the child’s best interests, citing virtual home visits, safety concerns for the mother, and claimed court approval. The case underscores alleged systemic neglect in New Mexico’s foster‑care system and has drawn criticism from federal officials.