Texas had secret plan to separate FLDS mothers and children, report says

AUSTIN Internal e-mails show that Texas officials made secret plans to haul hundreds of children and their mothers nearly 300 miles away to separate them, the Dallas Morning News reports.

The e-mails also indicate that state officials worried that mothers might try to run from the shelter with their children. Child Protective Services also worried about infections among the families and possible violence, the newspaper reported.

The initial plan was to take 130 mothers and their children by bus to Midlothian, Texas, to separate the mothers at a Salvation Army facility because it was a more secure location and was better-equipped, the News reported.

A judge, however, rejected the plan. More than 1,500 pages of e-mails were obtained under Texas freedom of information laws.

The governor of Texas was informed there would be a raid on the YFZ Ranch two days before law enforcement officers and CPS arrived with a search warrant.

FLDS member Willie Jessop strongly denied that women in the makeshift shelters in San Angelo were plotting any escape attempt with their children.

"We never, never did anything other than to comply and to endure what they put us through," Jessop told the News.

style="border:1px solid #999999;"> style="padding:4px;">Dallas Morning News June 4, 2008: class="boldText"> href="http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/news/texassouthwest/stories/060408dntexcps.3ba4457.html">Texas had secret plan ALIGN="CENTER"> COLOR="#ffffff">Related content