    [Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: WILLIAM J. CLINTON (2000, Book I)]
    [April 22, 2000]
    [Pages 760-761]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office www.gpo.gov]

    Remarks on Action To Enforce the Elian Gonzalez Custody Decision and an Exchange With Reporters
    April 22, 2000

        Good morning. As all of you know, this morning 6-year-old Elian
    Gonzalez was reunited with his father, Juan Miguel Gonzalez.

        The Department of Justice, under the leadership of Attorney General
    Reno, went to great lengths to negotiate a
    voluntary transfer. Even yesterday, the Attorney General worked very
    hard on this late into the night, showing great restraint, patience, and
    compassion. When all efforts failed, there was no alternative but to
    enforce the decision of the INS and a Federal court that Juan Miguel
    Gonzalez should have custody of his
    son. The law has been upheld, and that was the right thing to do.

        I am well aware that this has been a difficult time for all the
    parties involved. But let's remember, as I said from the outset, the
    most important thing was to treat this in a lawful manner according to
    the established process. This was, in the end, about a little boy who
    lost his mother and has not seen his father in more than 5 months. I
    hope, with time and support, Elian and his father will have the opportunity to be a strong family again.

        Thank you very much.

        Q.  Mr. President, what was your role, and did you give the go-ahead
    for the operation?

        The President.  Well, I talked to the Attorney General extensively, especially in the last several days, and I
    supported the decisions that were made. I think--we talked last evening
    last, and then I talked to Mr. Podesta two
    or three times through the night, and I believe that it was the right
    thing to do.

        She made the decision; she managed this, but
    I fully support what she did. And it was clear to me from our long
    conversations that we were in agreement about this. She had a special
    feeling because she was from Miami, she wanted to resolve this in the
    most patient way possible to minimize the damage to the people and the
    community that she loves so much. But she felt strongly, and I felt
    strongly, that the law had to be upheld and that Elian had to be
    reunited with his father. And every
    conceivable alternative was tried for quite a long time.

        So I think she did the right thing, and I'm
    very pleased with the way she handled it.

    [[Page 761]]

     Note: The President spoke at 10:28 a.m. on the South Lawn at the White
    House, prior to his departure for Camp David, MD. In his remarks, he
    referred to rescued Cuban youth Elian Gonzalez, who was removed from the
    house of his Miami relatives by Federal agents and reunited with his
    father earlier in the morning.