The number of abandoned babies in Texas has more than doubled over the past decade, with at least 18 cases reported in 2024 compared to far fewer a decade ago. Experts attribute this rise to restrictive abortion laws enacted in 2021, compounded by limited access to prenatal care and Texas’ distinction as the state with the highest percentage of uninsured women in the U.S.
A case in Houston involving Everilda Cux-Ajtzalam, an 18-year-old migrant from Guatemala, highlights the dire circumstances faced by many parents. Cux-Ajtzalam, charged with felony child abandonment, gave birth in a parking lot and discarded her newborn in a dumpster. Prosecutors noted she feared seeking medical help due to her undocumented status and lacked knowledge of Texas’ Safe Haven law, which allows parents to relinquish newborns at designated locations without legal repercussions.
Most parents abandoning babies reportedly face extreme desperation. Despite the rising cases, Texas lawmakers have not allocated funds for public awareness about the Safe Haven law or child abandonment prevention. Instead, $165 million was directed toward programs promoting alternatives to abortion, such as crisis pregnancy centers, which critics accuse of pressuring women to carry pregnancies to term regardless of their circumstances.
In 2023, Texas passed a law permitting Safe Haven Baby Boxes, where parents can discreetly leave infants at fire stations. While these boxes may offer a safer alternative, their effectiveness is still uncertain, as evidenced by a recent case in Lubbock, where a newborn was found in a dumpster just a day after a box was installed.
Advocates stress the need for broader public education and supportive measures to address this troubling trend, emphasizing the urgent need to protect vulnerable parents and children.
