Feds Face Lawsuit After 3-Year-Old Girl’s Abuse in Texas Foster Care
In Texas, a lawsuit involving a 3-year-old girl is putting new pressure on the federal immigrant child custody system after her family alleged she was sexually abused during a five-month stay in government custody. The case matters now because AP reported the father says he did not learn the full scope of what happened until lawyers went to court.
According to the Associated Press, the girl crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with her mother in September and was later separated after her mother was charged with making false statements. She was transferred into Office of Refugee Resettlement custody and placed in foster care in Harlingen, Texas.
AP reported that court documents say the child later disclosed sexual abuse by an older child in that foster placement. The report said a caregiver noticed something was wrong, the girl described repeated abuse, and she was later given a forensic exam and interview.
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The case also raises questions about disclosure. AP said the father was told there had been an “accident,” but he says officials did not explain more while the matter was under investigation. AP further reported that the accused older child was removed from the foster program and that local law enforcement was notified, according to attorney Lauren Fisher Flores.
“Children deserve safety and they belong with their parents,” attorney Lauren Fisher Flores told AP.
Beyond the individual case, AP linked the lawsuit to broader changes in federal policy. The outlet reported average ORR custody times rose from 37 days in January 2025 to nearly 200 days in February 2026, while legal and state officials have separately challenged efforts to weaken Flores protections for detained children.
AP said the girl has since been released and is now living with family in Chicago while her immigration case continues. ORR and HHS, which AP said were named in the lawsuit, did not respond to the outlet’s requests for comment.
The court fight is likely to keep attention on how quickly children in federal custody are reunited with family.
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