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Elian Gonzalez and family flying home to Cuba

Juan MIguel Gonzalez and Elian wave goodbye at Dulles International Airport

Supreme Court cleared way for Cuban boy to go home

June 28, 2000
Web posted at: 4:46 p.m. EDT (2046 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Elian Gonzalez and his family are now en route to Cuba after taking off on a chartered flight from Dulles International Airport in Virginia, bringing to a close a seven-month legal and political drama.

Onboard the jet with the 6-year-old Cuban boy are his father, his stepmother and infant half brother as well as Elian's teacher and favorite cousin.

A second airplane is transporting an entourage of schoolmates, teachers and friends -- who had come to Washington to be with Elian while the appeals played out in court.

AUDIO Listen to Juan Miguel's statement before the family left for Cuba 789K/115 sec. AIFF or WAV sound     GALLERY Elian leaves the U.S. for Cuba     TRANSCRIPT CNN's John Zarrella on the Elian Gonzales case     DOCUMENTS Related documents in the Elian Gonzalez case    VIDEO CNN's Miles O'Brien interviews Cuban-American activist Ramon Sanchez, who says the Elian case illustrates that links between Americans and Cubans should be stronger (June 24) Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K INS agents remove Elian Gonzalez from his great-uncle's Miami home at 5 a.m. Saturday. (April 22) QuickTime Play Real 28K 80K Windows Media 28K 80K     RESOURCES Who's who in the Elian Gonzalez case     ALSO Cuban-Americans dejected as Elian leaves for Cuba TIME.com: How Elian helped poke a hole in Cuba embargo     MESSAGE BOARD US/Cuba relations

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Elian's father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez, made a brief statement before boarding the aircraft, thanking the American people.

"I am very grateful for the support I have received," said Juan Miguel. "I am extremely happy to be able to go back to my homeland."

The Rev. Joan Brown Campbell, a former official of the National Council of Churches who has been advising the father, was at the airport to see the family off.

Elian and his entourage arrived at Dulles in a five-car caravan with a police motorcade. The officers escorted the caravan from their temporary home in the Washington area at the Rosedale Estate past a few demonstrators outside the house.

While the group filled out custom forms, bomb-sniffing dogs checked the charter jets and the group's luggage.

The U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday decisively ended a seven-month custody battle over the 6-year-old Cuban boy, which began when he floated into Florida waters on an innertube.

At a news conference a few hours later, President Clinton expressed satisfaction at the outcome of the international custody battle.

"Do I wish it had unfolded in a less dramatic, less traumatic way for all concerned? Of course I do," Clinton said. "I have replayed this in my mind many times. I don't know that we had many different options."

In a brief, two-sentence statement, the court rejected a request by Elian's Miami relatives for a political asylum hearing on the boy's behalf and refused to extend the injunction requiring him to stay in the United States.

The ruling meant that Elian and his immediate family were free to leave for Cuba after 4 p.m., when a previous injunction expired.

Cuban officials tell CNN that when the family arrives in Havana they will then return to their home in Cardenas.

Attorneys for the Miami relatives filed an emergency petition with the Supreme Court Monday after the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously rejected their request to reconsider its ruling that the Immigration and Naturalization Service did not have to grant Elian a political asylum hearing.

The appeal said the legal issues "boil down to a single straightforward question: Can the INS deprive an alien child of his statutory and constitutional right to apply for asylum without conducting any hearing of any kind -- or even interviewing the child himself?"

Miami's Cuban community was dejected Wednesday over the Supreme Court ruling allowing Elian to return to Cuba, but authorities said they were not expecting violence or major demonstrations.

Outside the Little Havana home where Elian had stayed with his relatives, people milled about, hugging each other and talking sadly. Some cried.

Ramon Saul Sanchez, a Cuban-American exile leader, told CNN, "We're very disilliusioned with the Supreme Court decision. However, unfortunately, it's something that we already expected. The fight for Elian Gonzalez continues because we must fight for the rest of the children of Cuba, and he's going to be returned to that place where oppression has endured for 41 years."

The Justice Department had argued that Elian's Miami relatives' last-ditch appeal was without merit and said, "prohibiting Elian's departure would only cause him harm."

Justice Department officials are relieved by the Supreme Court decision, CNN Justice Correspondent Pierre Thomas reported. He said they wanted the family to leave in dignity.

In a written statement, Attorney General Janet Reno said, "I am very pleased that the Supreme Court has declined to review the case of Elian Gonzalez. The law has provided a process, and this little boy now knows that he can remain with his father. All involved have had an opportunity to make their case -- all the way to the highest court in the land. I hope that everyone will accept the Supreme Court's decision and join me in wishing this family, and this special little boy, well."

Immigration officials consistently maintained that the desire of Elian's father to repatriate the boy to Cuba had to be respected, a position backed by a succession of court rulings.

Elian was at the center of a legal tug of war between his father and his Miami relatives since he was found clinging to an inner tube on Thanksgiving Day. His mother and 10 other people died trying to reach the U.S. in a poorly made boat.

Elian could be just hours away from return to Cuba
June 28, 2000
Elian's father urges Supreme Court to let the boy go home
June 27, 2000
Massive Cuban demonstration implores: 'Yankees, free Elian!'
June 24, 2000
Appeals court to rule on rehearing petition in Elian case
June 23, 2000
Justice argument would, in theory, open path that could allow Elian to leave for Cuba
June 20, 2000
Court gives government and father deadline to respond in Elian Gonzalez case
June 15, 2000
Justice asks court to dismiss Lazaro's suit to keep Elian in U.S.
June 7, 2000
Elian's father 'very happy' with court decision; Miami family will fight on
June 1, 2000

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LibertyForElian.org - Foundation to Help Save Elian
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Cuban American National Foundation

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