WASHINGTON, Jan 12 (Reuters) - U.S. Attorney General Janet Reno said on Wednesday that a Florida state court had no right to intervene in the immigration case of a 6-year-old Cuban boy and made clear plans were continuing to return him to his father in Cuba.

``Indeed, the question of who may speak for a six-year-old child in applying for admission or asylum is a matter of federal immigration law,'' Reno said in a letter to lawyers for the boy's Florida relatives.

11:00 01-12-00

Reno says Florida court -2

On Monday, Miami-Dade County Family Court Judge Rosa Rodriguez gave relatives in the state temporary custody of the boy until a scheduled March 6 hearing to determine if he would be harmed by being returned to Cuba.

Cuban exiles had celebrated the decision. But Reno said on Wednesday it had no standing.

In the Justice Department's judgment, ``the Florida court's order has no force or effect insofar as INS's administration of the immigration laws is concerned.''

The Immigration and Naturalisation Service, or INS, had ruled on Jan. 4 that the boy, Elian Gonzalez, should be returned to his father in Cuba by Friday. The INS has extended that deadline indefinitely ``to accommodate the federal court proceedings that we envision,'' a spokesman, Russ Bergeron, said after Reno's letter was released.

11:22 01-12-00

Copyright 2000 Reuters Limited

[ BACK TO THE NEWS ]

NOTICIAS
...Prensa Independiente
...Prensa Internacional
...Prensa Gubernamental

OTHER LANGUAGES
...Spanish
...German
...French

INDEPENDIENTES
...Cooperativas Agrícolas
...Movimiento Sindical
...Bibliotecas
...MCL
...Ayuno

DEL LECTOR
...Letters
...Cartas
...Debate
...Opinión

BUSQUEDAS
...News Archive
...News Search
...Documents
...Links

CULTURA
...Painters
...Photos of Cuba
...Cigar Labels

CUBANET
...Semanario
...About Us
...Informe 1998
...E-Mail

CubaNet News, Inc.
145 Madeira Ave,
Suite 207
Coral Gables, FL 33134
(305) 774-1887