ELEPHANT BUTTE, N.M. — Sen. Crystal Brantley (R-District 35) is responding to reports that New Mexico's Children, Youth and Families Department removed a 15-year-old U.S. citizen from foster care in Doña Ana County and drove him to the El Paso border, where he was told to cross into Ciudad Juárez to live with an estranged mother who had a prior substantiated abuse claim against her. The teen initially refused to cross and spent 10 days in a Texas homeless shelter — but CYFD, by its own account, then coordinated with the mother, the Mexican consulate, Texas child welfare officials and border law enforcement to complete his passage into Mexico. The U.S. citizen child is now living with his mother in Juárez. Read the full report from the Albuquerque Journal
"This administration won't support deporting violent offenders, but they're willing to send a U.S. citizen child back into an unsafe home. That's the hypocrisy New Mexicans can't stand — and it's exactly why we need a 'Best Interest of the Child' standard in New Mexico. Until that becomes law, CYFD's incentive structure will always prioritize closing cases over the safety of New Mexico's children."
— Sen. Crystal Brantley
Brantley and Rep. Gail Armstrong (R-Magdalena) sponsored SB 67, the Best Interests of the Child Standards Act, during the 2026 session to require courts and CYFD to weigh a defined set of factors — including a child's safety, documented abuse history, and stated wishes — before returning them to a parent or guardian. The bill did not advance this session, and Brantley has vowed to reintroduce it.
