ke the issue up. Yet special immigration bills have only had a one percent success rate in the past. And even if such a bill is passed, it has to be ratified by President Clinton who favors the INS's decision of returning Elian. Castro's government condemned the ruling while the people of Cuba once again protested, refering to Cuban refugees in America as beasts. A planned trip to the United States from Cuba by Elian's grandmothers took place on January 28 when they met with Janet Reno to discuss a visit with Elian. The meeting finally took place at the home of Barry University President Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin of Miami. Both sides of the family wanted a neutral location away from media attention. Sister Jeanne O'Laughlin, who remained a neutral party on the Elian dispute, changed her mind in favor of Elian staying in the U.S. after hosting the meeting with the grandmothers. She noted sensing fear in the two, while the grandmothers stated having no privacy with the boy and too many interuptions. The grandmother's cell phones were even confiscated as a condition of the meeting.Because of growing legal concerns, the Miami relatives cancelled a meeting with Attorney General Janet Reno on February 9. Instead, Marisleysis Gonzalez and Georgina Cid, both second-cousins to Elian, lobbied on Capital Hill for support of the Elian bill to grant citizenship or permanent residency.March 9, 2000 was the much anticipated date that would determine the fate of Elian Gonzalez. Lazaro Gonzalez and his daughter Marisleysis, along with other Miami relatives, were finally back in court to force the INS to give Elian a political asylum hearing previously denied. This time the family's arguments were heard at the federal level and U.S. District Judge K. Michael Moore presided. On this date, no ruling was made and the judge recessed the court without a decision until Tuesday, March 21. In his ruling, Judge Moore firmly upheld United States Attorney General Ja...
