<< ctually, according to what the 11th says, the INS never accepted
his application for assylum, which was why they thought it would
be a good idea to wait and see what the outcome of that lawsuit
would be, and that sending him back without listeneing to that case
(currently on appeal) would be a bad idea.
The TRO/preliminary injunction should not have been issued in the first place. The standard includes, crucially, a showing of a "reasonable probability of success on the merits." The merits involkvea showing that a person who wants political asylum faces a "well founded fear of persecution" because of his political beliefs. No rational person could suppose that Elian has any political beliefs or faces any well founded fear of persucution in Cuba because of any political beliefs he might have.
> So given that, why did
Reno demand he be put into the custody of his father?
Because his father's parental rights have not been terminated. In fact, even if Elian is granteda sylum, he will have to go back unless his father's rights are terminated or his father decides to stay here. The asylum issue goes to the kid's right to stay here, not to whether the govt can keep him away from his dad.
> His father
was brought to the US and is staying on an Air Force base (at whose
expense?); t
Presuambly Castro's. but I don't know.
> he INS concluded early on that his great uncle would
be an appropriate custodian while the kid is in the US -- why the
change of heart?
Beacuse the person who has legal custody of the child is now here; frankly; he kid should have been turned to him in the first place. The INS has noi authority--NONE!--to make any determination about family law.
> So we're back to the INS' claim that "the kid goes back" is on
hold. It's not clear what the outcome will be. I think the transfer
of custody was part of some "deal" that the DoJ wanted to cut but
never actually got agreement from. I don't think "the law" has
anything to say about the current situation, seeing as how it's
all on hold. So one answer is likely to be as good as another,
but I'm surprised Reno pushed it like this.
The law seems to have little to do with it, or the kid would already be back.
--jks