Q: Why is the government insisting that Lazaro Gonzalez sign a promise to turn
 over Elian to the INS if the Miami relatives lose their appeal?

 A: The government wants to stop further legal action by the boy's Miami relatives
 and ensure they will surrender Elian without forcing federal agents to pick him up.

 Q. Why won't the family agree to surrender Elian if it loses its federal appeal?

 A: Because the family would like to pursue other avenues to keep Elian in Miami,
 possibly in Congress or the state courts.

 Q. Why has the government threatened to revoke Elian's temporary immigration
 parole into the United States?

 A: Revocation would provide the government with a legal basis to require the
 family to surrender Elian. It also clears the way for the government to pick up
 Elian as an illegal alien.

 Q: Can the family stop the government from revoking Elian's temporary parole?

 A: Possibly, by asking the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Atlanta to issue
 an emergency order barring the government from moving ahead.

 Q: Would the appellate court be likely to issue such a stay?

 A: Legal experts say no. The court could issue an order if it believes the family
 will win its appeal, but most legal experts say the government will probably
 prevail.

 Q: What steps can the government take if the family refuses to surrender Elian?

 A: It could seek a court order requiring the family to comply. It could also ask a
 court to declare the family and its attorneys in contempt, and possibly seek
 criminal charges.

 Q: What steps can the family take if it loses its federal appeal?

 A: The family could go back to Miami-Dade Family Court, where its petition for
 custody of Elian has been in abeyance pending the outcome of the federal
 lawsuit. It can try to revive a stalled effort in Congress to grant Elian U.S.
 citizenship.

 If the family can prolong the case long enough, the Clinton administration would
 be out of office, and both leading presidential candidates have called for a full
 hearing in family court.

 Q: What are the relatives' chances of winning custody of Elian in family court?

 A. The family might find a more sympathetic ear from an elected circuit court
 judge, but legal experts say state courts probably have no legal authority to
 intervene in Elian's case, which under international law would have to be heard in
 Cuba.

                     Copyright 2000 Miami Herald