Hull: “This is a prime example of putting reunification ahead of a child’s safety.”

RIO RANCHO, New Mexico (July 25, 2026) — Republican gubernatorial candidate Gregg Hull today condemned the New Mexico Children, Youth and Families Department’s handling of a 15-year-old U.S. citizen whom the agency took to the international border and directed to cross into Mexico to live with his estranged mother.

Published reports indicate that a CYFD employee drove the teenager to the Bridge of the Americas in El Paso on July 6 and expected him to cross alone into Ciudad Juárez. The child reportedly refused, returned to the United States, and spent approximately 10 days in a Texas shelter. CYFD later coordinated a second crossing into Mexico.

“This is not an example of a system protecting a vulnerable child. It is a prime example of CYFD putting reunification ahead of the child’s safety, well-being and clearly expressed concerns,” Hull said. “A 15-year-old should never be driven to an international border, told to walk into another country and left to navigate that situation alone. The state’s first responsibility was to protect this child — not simply close a case.”

The Office of the Child Advocate reportedly raised significant concerns with CYFD leadership and the Governor’s Office but could not secure the cooperation it needed to advocate effectively for the child. The Child Advocate said CYFD further traumatized the teenager and sent him to an unfamiliar country without appropriate support.

“New Mexicans deserve to know who authorized this decision, what safety review was conducted and why CYFD apparently disregarded warnings from the Child Advocate,” Hull said. “There must be an immediate, independent investigation, preservation of all records and communications, and a complete accounting of every decision that led to this child being taken across the border.”

CYFD has defended its actions, stating that a court approved the reunification and that assessments found the mother’s home appropriate. But the agency made this decision only months after the New Mexico Department of Justice concluded that systemic failures within CYFD have repeatedly placed reunification ahead of child safety. ([New Mexico Sentinel][1])

Hull called for:

• An immediate independent investigation into the case.
• A comprehensive welfare and safety review for the teenager.
• Full cooperation with the Office of the Child Advocate.
• Preservation and lawful disclosure of all relevant communications and records.
• A requirement that every placement decision give meaningful consideration to a child’s safety, documented history and stated wishes.
• Accountability for supervisors or officials who ignored warnings or failed to protect the child.

“As Governor, I will appoint experienced, accountable leadership at CYFD and make the best interests of the child the controlling standard — not political convenience, bureaucratic expediency or pressure to achieve reunification statistics,” Hull said. “Reuniting families can be an important goal, but it must never come at the expense of a child’s safety.”

“Our children are not case numbers. They are not problems to be transferred across a jurisdictional line. They are New Mexicans, and protecting them must always come first.”

About Gregg Hull
Gregg Hull served three terms and 12 years as Mayor of Rio Rancho, where he led one of New Mexico’s fastest-growing communities and built a record of accountable government, strong public safety and responsible leadership. Hull is the Republican nominee for Governor of New Mexico.