ELIAN GONZALEZ, ONE YEAR LATER

As Americans sat down to Thanksgiving this year, many remembered that it was one year ago that six-year-old Elian Gonzalez arrived in the US setting off one of the largest custody battles ever seen and making US asylum policies a topic of everyday conversation. 

His mother and many others died after the boat they were in capsized, and Elian was rescued by fishermen after drifting in an inner tube for almost two days.  He was released into the custody of his great-uncle, Lazaro Gonzalez, who quickly made clear his desire that Elian not be returned to Cuba.  His father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, was equally clear in his desire that Elian be returned to him.

Almost overnight the family dispute became a political firestorm.  Cuban officials denounced US immigration policies, saying that they encouraged risky trips like the one in which Elian was involved.  US politicians seized the opportunity to denounce Fidel Castro, and anti-Castro activists in the US made Elian a symbol of their struggle.  For months crowds surrounded the house in Miami where he was living, and the story was news everyday.

Juan Miguel Gonzalez came to the US to take custody of his son, but the Miami family refused to meet with him.  Elian was eventually reunited with his father after an INS raid on the Miami home where Elian was removed.  The pictures from this event, with armed INS agents and a clearly frightened little boy, resulted in widespread disapproval, even from those who supported the INS position. 

The INS decided that Elian could not seek asylum without the assistance of a parent or legal guardian, and it rejected the applications filed on his behalf.  Eventually, the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the decision, and Elian returned to Cuba with his father.

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