New Mexico AG Demands Return of 15-Year-Old Citizen from Mexico After Foster Care Incident

New Mexico's Attorney General Raúl Torrez is taking action to return a 15-year-old American citizen trapped in Mexico after a controversial incident involving the state's foster care system. On July 6, staff from the Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD) allegedly transported the minor to the El Paso, Texas border crossing and instructed him to walk across alone to reunite with his mother, a Mexican national who had been deported after facing drug-related charges earlier in the year.

The civil lawsuit, filed by Torrez on July 28, states that the youth was left at the border without adult supervision. After crossing into Mexico, the teenager was unable to locate his mother and ran back across the border into the U.S. U.S. Customs and Border Protection intervened, urging CYFD to retrieve the child. However, according to the lawsuit, CYFD staff claimed the situation was now a 'Texas problem' and refused assistance.

Torrez emphasized the importance of the welfare system's responsibility, stating, 'The State of New Mexico cannot claim to protect children while abandoning one of its own at an international border.' He is also pushing for a temporary restraining order to prevent similar reunifications lacking court approval.

Following the incident, the minor was placed with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. After failed attempts to communicate with CYFD, the teenager was eventually returned to his mother in Mexico weeks later.

The case highlights ongoing concerns regarding the New Mexico foster care system, which has been criticized for its handling of vulnerable children. A recent 200-page report by the New Mexico Department of Justice cited systemic failings, claiming children were often sent back to unsafe environments.

The AG's office alleges that CYFD disregarded proper risk assessments concerning the boy's mother and facilitated his crossing without adult supervision, despite knowing he has a heart condition requiring medication. CYFD, however, maintains the boy's safety was never at risk and asserts the mother's request for reunification was always prioritized.

Currently, the custody situation remains unresolved as the teenager, now living with his mother in Mexico, has reportedly attempted multiple times to reenter the U.S. Torrez's insistence on action reflects a broader issue within the state's child welfare policies.