A federal appeals court is set to begin considering a claim by Elian Gonzalez's Miami relatives that the child be allowed to apply for political asylum.
Today is court day.
But the judges also grilled the government attorneys, who maintain the Justice Department was correct in giving Juan Miguel Gonzalez the right to decide for his child. Judge J.L. Edmondson, who was appointed by President Ronald Reagan in 1986, expressed concern over whether the rights of a parent can override the best interests of a child. Elian's Miami relatives insist the child will be persecuted if he returns to Cuba and that, despite his extreme youth, Elian should be allowed to seek asylum. But Juan Miguel Gonzalez, has asked the court to drop the asylum claim filed on his son's behalf by the Florida family, and the federal government repeatedly has said that as far as it's concerned, only the father can speak for the child. After the hearing, the attorney for Elian's father, Gregory Craig, insisted Juan Miguel Gonzalez is expressing his desires without pressure from the Cuban government.