Texas Child Protective Services (CPS), the agency who is behind the raid, has been under tremendous pressure in the past few years for failing to carry out it's responsibility in all areas of the state. A number of high-profile child abuse cases have made the headlines, most involving the death of a small child where CPS had the opportunity to intervene but failed to do so before the tragedy. I think this is coloring some of the actions we see taking place. CPS is trying to show it can and will do what it takes to protect children from abuse.
Having relatives in the general area where the FLDS compound is located, I know the authorities have had them under close surveillance for several years. Those who leave the fold of the religious group tell a consistent story of a 'brainwashed' society led by a relatively small group of men who have multiple wives. Once girls reach puberty they are married to one of these men at the direction of the church elders. Male children are supposedly "culled" as teenagers by excommunicating a number of them
(the "Lost Boys"). This maintains a high ratio of women to men in order to provide multiple wives to the men who head up the families in the church. (Notice that very few males - of any age - are appearing in the media.)
I'd have very little sympathy for what the state is doing if it was based only on polygamy. Unfortunately the history of this group indicates the forced marriage of girls as young as 12 to men who in some cases are 50 or older. Not something I think we should allow to go unchallenged in the name of freedom of religion.
No doubt this is traumatic for the children and these poor women who have known nothing other than this lifestyle. The fact the male leadership of this religious group is parading these pathetic women in front of the media to defend their actions says volumes.