The real reason for storming the house is that the INS was not going to take risks with the agents' lives, and surprise raids are the best way to avoid violence. Entries preceded by plenty of notice allow people to prepare, to arm if so inclined, to set up barricades, to assemble hostile crowds, etc.--in other words, to set up a far more dangerous situation). They did exactly the right thing, and the lack of any serious physical injury to anyone shows it.
I think the INS and Reno were justified and would have done the same to reunify a child being kept from his only surviving parent, if that parent were Chinese, North Korean, from an Arab monarchy, or from a host of other places we don't like too much. The federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the Lazaro contingent deserves no "visitation rights," and that Elian needs no guardian other than his father. Reno's actions, legally sound from the get-go, now have the imprimatur of the federal court having jurisdiction over this matter. |
