USA: CUBAN BOY CUSTODY BATTLE: UPDATE (2)

(25 Jan 2000) Spanish/Nat As support grew for legislation to grant U-S citizenship to Elian Gonzalez, the 6-year-old boy's grandmothers met with lawmakers to press for his immediate return to Cuba. Meanwhile, the U-S Immigration Service has ordered Elian Gonzalez's Florida relatives to make him available Wednesday for a meeting with his grandmothers at a neutral site. After a gruelling agenda of travel and trying to garner support for their grandson's return to Cuba, Raquel Rodriguez and Mariela Quintana paid a visit to the office of congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee, who immediately expressed support for the women's plight. SOUNDBITE: (English) "Elian Gonzalez is not an orphan. His father, Mr Gonzalez, has not been ruled an unfit parent. Based upon my direct questions to the grandmothers, both of whom live in a very close radius to where Elian was raised, a very close family, I see no need for legislation to give Elian citizenship at this time or permanent residence." SUPER CAPTION: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, (Democrat-Texas) The boy's grandmothers listened with tears in their eyes - it was an emotional moment. Elian's maternal grandmother, Raquel Rodriguez, lost her only daughter in the ill-fated ocean crossing. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) "As long as time goes by, how can I continue living? I have noone else" SUPER CAPTION: Raquel Rodriguez, Elian's maternal grandmother Except her grandson. Elian's paternal grandmother was equally emotional, but also determined. SOUNDBITE: (Spanish) "It is in my opinion that it is our right to see our grandson and take him back home." SUPER CAPTION: Mariela Quintana, Elian's paternal grandmother SOUNDBITE: (English) "The I-N-S is continuing to work on getting a meeting with the grandparents at a time and place appropriate." SUPER CAPTION: Representative Sheila Jackson Lee, (Democrat-Texas) U-S immigration officials ordered the boy's Florida relatives to make Elian available on Wednesday for a meeting with his grandmothers at a neutral site. This was in spite of increased efforts to bestow citizenship on the boy, who has been cared for by the Miami relatives since he was found clinging to an inner tube off the Florida coast on November the 25th. President Bill Clinton left open the possibility of a veto of any citizenship bill. SOUNDBITE: (English) "I have not decided what to do and I would not rule that out. I just haven't decided what to do. Let me just say for the moment that if you take it out of the combustible, emotional nature of our relationship with Cuba and particularly the Cuban-American community in south Florida's relationship with Cuba, and you think about the issue, one of the things that I think we all need to think about is this could happen again." SUPER CAPTION: Bill Clinton, U-S President The President urged Congress to delay action until the issue had played out in court. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...