Aangezien Elian González te jong is om juridische beslissingen te nemen moest de "Immigration and Naturalisation Service" (Immigratie- en Naturalisatiedienst) van de VS (INS), die onder de bevoegdheid van het "Department of Justice" (Ministerie van Justitie) valt, beslissen wie de legitieme vertegenwoordiger van het kind is.
As Elian Gonzalez is too young to take legal decisions, the US Immigration and Naturalisation Service (INS), which is part of the US Department of Justice, had to decide who could legally represent him.