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CAMPAIGN 2000
During the Republican presidential debates held in Michigan on January 10, 2000, one of the hot topics of discussion was the fate of Elian Gonzalez.  Each of the candidates agreed that he should not be returned to his father in Cuba, and took the opportunity to advance their opinions on Cuba. 
Steve Forbes, publisher, accused the Clinton administration of making the boy a “human sacrifice to Fidel Castro” in an effort to ease the long-standing political tensions between the US and Cuba.  He called Fidel Castro a “tyrant” and said that to send Elian back would be a “stain” on “American values and principles.”  He advocated allowing the boy’s father to come to the US to make a decision here. 
George W. Bush, Governor of Texas, agreed, saying the father “ought to be brought to the United States, given a whiff of freedom, so he can see how wonderful our country is.”  Bush was also critical of any normalized trade relations with Cuba. 
John McCain, Senator from Arizona, said Elian should be allowed to stay, noting that his mother “gave her life so that he could breathe free.” 
Orrin Hatch, Senator from Utah, said he would send a letter to the INS asking them to not follow through with plan to return Elian to Cuba until a court had made a custody determination.   
Gary Bauer, a political activist, and Alan Keyes, a radio host, agreed that Elian should be allowed to remain in the US, although Keyes noted that the father should have the final decision, so long as he could make that decision “in freedom." 
On the Democratic side, both leading candidates have publicly disagreed with the actions of the INS.  Vice-President Al Gore has said “it is not clear to me that they (the INS) have the expertise to really address a question like that.”  Like McCain, Gore also stressed the importance of the death of Elian’s mother in her effort to come to the US.  Gore supported the idea of allowing the decision to be made by the courts.  Former Senator Bill Bradley also said the decision should be made by the courts, but expressed his wish that Elian be allowed to stay in the US.
Candidates for offices other than President are also weighing in on Elian’s case.  On a late night talk show the First Lady Hillary Rodham Clinton addressed the issue, although she took no firm stance, saying only that a decision should be reached as quickly as possible, and that in making that decision, both the relationship with the father and his mother’s effort to bring him to the US should be considered.  While she has not officially announced her candidacy, it is widely assumed that she will be running for the US Senate from New York.  Her most likely opponent, who has also not officially announced his candidacy, is New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani.  In December he sent a letter to the INS asking the agency to grant the boy asylum.
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Three times a week the Associated Press poses questions to each candidate.  This week one of the questions was “should legal immigration be increased, decreased or maintained.”  Here are the responses: 
DEMOCRATS 
Bill Bradley 
“Immigration has added to the vitality of the country as well as the strength of our economy.  America must always remain a refuge for those fleeing oppression.  At the same time, we must be able to control our borders to protect our security as well as to keep our work force stable.  I believe the current level of immigration should be maintained.”
Al Gore 
“Maintained.  I support our current legal immigration system that is based on family reunification and labor shortage needs while at the same time ensuring that American workers are not displaced or otherwise adversely affected; and provides humanitarian protection for refugees.” 
REFORM 
Pat Buchanan 
“Illegal immigration should be ended without delay.  Legal immigration should be reduced to 250,000 newcomers a year, both to assimilate the 30 million who have come here in recent decades, and to ease the downward pressure on the wages of U.S. workers.” 
REPUBLICANS
Gary Bauer 
“Legal immigration numbers should be reviewed each year based on economic and social conditions in the United States.  Legal immigration should also be linked to the skill needs of U.S. industries.  I would lower the number temporarily in order to assess the Clinton-Gore administration's neglect in preventing illegal immigration.”
George W. Bush 
“America is a nation of immigrants; legal immigration is good for America and for those who come here seeking freedom and opportunity.  As Governor of a border state, I know firsthand the great richness and benefits that legal immigrants with different cultures, history and traditions bring to America.  I support increasing the number of H-1B visas to help meet America's need for more high-tech workers, and I support expanding the H-2A temporary agricultural workers program so that willing workers can help meet America's labor needs.  I oppose illegal immigration.  The federal government must improve its enforcement of our borders.”
Steve Forbes 
“We are a nation of immigrants, but our government is doing a terrible job on the immigration issue.  As President, I will provide real conservative leadership on this critical issue.  I do not support increasing legal immigration, except in the area of H1-B visas for high-tech workers to work side-by-side with American scientists and engineers.  The real issue, however, is that the federal government is not protecting our borders and should compensate states as a result.  The INS is rife with dismal mismanagement and badly needs drastic reform.  We should more rapidly deport illegal immigrants.  The Border Patrol needs to be beefed up and provided more manpower and state-of-the-art, high-tech equipment.”
Orrin Hatch 
“Maintained.  As President, I will continue to work with the Border Patrol and the INS to find solutions and ensure that immigration into the United States is under control and legal.  We must not allow a person's first entry into our nation to be an illegal act.”
Alan Keyes did not provide a response 
John McCain 
“I strongly support ample legal immigration.  I do not believe that we, as a nation of immigrants, should shut our doors to those who would contribute to our society and economy.  I believe we should have immigration laws and policies that are fair, reasonable, and sustainable and that have the support of the American people.  I have strongly supported dramatically expanding visas for qualified high-tech workers who can help America maintain its world leadership in the information technology revolution.  As President, I will ensure that the laws governing legal immigration will help ensure that our diversity and openness remain a vital source of national strength and character.”