in the appeals court. Lazaro Gonzalez refused. Instead, he pleaded with Juan Miguel to come to Miami to meet with Elian in a family environment. In a statement released, he said, "We appeal to Juan Miguel to come to our home with his wife and son and sit with us around the family table. We want no government officials, no lawyers, and no press, only family." The relatives also said that they were no longer willing to hand over Elian to his father but would not resist if the government tried to take him from their home.Meanwhile, on Friday, March 31, the Florida House of Representatives passed a resolution that urged the Justice Department to keep Elian in U.S. custody until he can petition for political asylum, giving the family of Lazaro Gonzalez new hope of gaining custody of Elian and keeping him here in the United States.One week later, Juan Miguel Gonzalez arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport with his wife, Nercy Carmenate Castillo, and son Hianny. He immediatly met with Attorney General Janet Reno, INS Commissioner Doris Meissner and other officials at the Justice Department. During the April 6 meeting, which lasted an hour, Reno was moved by Juan Miguel's plea for the return of his son. This prompted the immediate devising of a plan to forcibly take custody of Elian. Later, Reno also repeated an offer made to the family a week earlier. The offer gave the Miami family two options; immediately turn Elian over to his father and she will try to have them remain in the U.S. while the appeals process over immigration status and custody continue; or keep the boy until federal marshals seize him, but there will be no government effort to prevent Juan Miguel and Elian from returning to Cuba before the appeals process is over.Cuban-Americans, whose numbers reached the hundreds outside the Miami home, view the recent decision as an act of betrayal by the federal government. Many exiles feel that the winner here is not the Ame...
