Attorney General Raúl Torrez today announced that the New Mexico Department of Justice has filed a civil lawsuit against the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department (CYFD), alleging that the agency violated state law and the constitutional rights of a 15-year-old U.S. citizen by abandoning him at the U.S.-Mexico border and effectively forcing him into Mexico without adequate legal process or protections.

“The State of New Mexico cannot claim to protect children while abandoning one of its own at an international border. This case is about more than one child. It is about whether the agency entrusted with protecting our most vulnerable children is following the law, honoring constitutional rights, and putting the safety of children above bureaucratic expediency. When government fails so completely in its most fundamental responsibility, we have both the authority and the obligation to act.” – AG Torrez