WASHINGTON, 19 (AP) - Immigration officials say moving Elian Gonzalez to a new temporary custodian in Miami, as his father in Cuba wants, would be too disruptive to the 6-year-old boy.
At the same time, they said they were continuing to press in federal court for Elian's return to Cuba.
The Immigration and Naturalization Service outlined its stance in a letter Friday to Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez.
The agency declared that ``transferring Elian temporarily to a new and unfamiliar environment would not be advisable for the child after already experiencing the trauma of leaving his home in Cuba and losing his mother.''
Since he was found clinging to an inner tube off Florida last Thanksgiving, Elian has been temporarily placed in the custody of a great-uncle, Lazaro Gonzalez, whose family is waging a legal battle to keep the boy in this country permanently. His mother and 10 others died in a boat wreck while
fleeing Cuba.
Elian's father had requested that Attorney General Janet Reno shift the boy's temporary custody to another of his great-uncles in Miami, Manolo Gonzalez.
The father had complained that Lazaro Gonzalez and his family had given the news media too much access to Elian, had arranged psychiatric treatment for the boy by doctors who had not been approved by his father and had allowed relatives with criminal records to be around the boy.
An INS statement said the agency shares the father's concerns about the boy's well-being ``and therefore will request information from Lazaro Gonzalez concerning the credentials of any psychiatrist or psychologist who has seen Elian, as well as any treatment that may have been prescribed for
him.''
It also promised to obtain details of Elian's schooling in Miami.
A Miami-based nongovernmental organization visited Lazaro Gonzalez's home to verify that it was an adequate setting for Elian, the INS said. It also said it was aware that Lazaro had past convictions for driving under the influence of alcohol, but its current information does not suggest his
home is inadequate for Elian's temporary care.
Meanwhile, Reno rejected a request to meet with Elian during a visit Friday to Miami, her hometown.
Lazaro Gonzalez's family had asked Reno to meet with them and Elian in hopes she would sympathize with their fight to keep the child in the United States. She spoke at an awards ceremony for an organization that provides legal assistance to neglected children.
Reno would prefer to meet Lazaro's family in Washington next week so that INS Commissioner Doris Meissner also could also attend, Associate Deputy Attorney General James Castello said in a letter.
Castello wrote, however, that Reno believes it is ``unnecessary'' for Elian to attend, explaining that the adult relatives could convey any new information they want her to hear.
AP-NY-02-19-00 0927EST
Copyright 2000 The Associated Press |