New Mexico Attorney General is suing the state’s foster care system, seeking action to return a 15-year-old American citizen who is reportedly in Mexico. According to the lawsuit described by multiple outlets, foster care staff took the teenager from New Mexico to a border crossing in Texas with the stated purpose of reuniting him with his estranged mother. The child then allegedly was forced to walk across the U.S.-Mexico border. The attorney general asks a judge to order the state child welfare agency to return the teen and to ensure children are not removed across the border without a court order.
The reports frame the case as a legal challenge to how the state handled the placement and movement of a minor during a reunification effort. The lawsuit argues that the agency’s actions raise legal and procedural concerns, particularly regarding the authority to move a child across international borders and the need for court involvement. The outlets also describe the request as aimed at preventing further removals under similar circumstances while the matter is before the court.
