BY MANNY GARCIA, ANA ACLE AND PAUL BRINKLEY-ROGERS

 A day of apprehension turned into a joyous street party outside Elian Gonzalez's
Miami home when news arrived that he can stay in the United States for now.

 Many people jumped joyfully into the air. Others knelt in silent prayer. Neighbors
walked out their front doors and pumped their fists into the air.

 As night fell, the crowds grew. Entire families arrived. A group of 300 happy,
laughing celebrants broke into spontaneous renditions of Guantanamera -- led
by a man with a guitar and another blowing a saxophone.

 About 8:30 p.m., Elian came outside. Looking startled and dazzled by the bright
lights focused on the house by TV crews, he quickly went back inside.

 The Rev. Francisco Santana was with Elian and his Miami relatives in their Little
Havana home in the afternoon when the court's decision became public. He
described the scene:

 He was holding hands with Elian's great-uncles, Lazaro and Delfin Gonzalez,
saying the prayer, ``Our Father.'' The phone rang -- and the tears began.

 ``Everyone in the house began to cry,'' Santana said. ``I told Elian: `Eliancito. We
 have to thank God.' He got on his knees and said, `Thank you, God.' ''

 Elian's great-uncle Lazaro, who has steadfastly refused to hand the boy over to
 federal authorities, said he had always thought he would win.

 ``I always had faith,'' he told Miami City Commissioner Tomas Regalado. ``I know
 that we are on the right side of God.' ''

 When Lazaro's daughter, Marisleysis, arrived at the house, she, Elian and Lazaro
 jumped onto the sofa in the dining room, and rolled around, hugging and crying.

 ``I had come here expecting to console them. But God is almighty,'' said
 Santana.

 In the barricaded street outside, a 48-year-old man, Jorge Luis Leon of Miami,
 went skipping down the street like a little boy, shouting, ``He's staying! He's
 staying!''

 Perspiring men embraced. Women cried. Uniformed teenagers, just freed from
 school, squealed with joy. A lone dissenting note -- a banner reading ``Send Elian
 to Cuba: the Taxpayers'' -- was dragged across the sky by a plane.

 ``I came here for Elian! I didn't expect him to stay!'' yelled Yoselyn Mendez, 17, a
 Miami High student.

 The announcement -- relayed by cellular phone, by radio, by word-of-mouth --
 inspired moments of giddy madness.

 Milly Collado, 36, was picking up her children -- Melissa, 10, and Alfredo, 12 --
 from school. ``We said, `This is victory, so let's come out and join this victorious
 day,' '' said Collado, who came from Cuba when she was 2.

 ``The first thing we did was buy a Cuban flag,'' she said. ``We're going to pick up
 Daddy and come back out here. This has brought the community together . . .
 just one big family.''

 Mauro Suazo, 44, brought his daughter, Carolina, 10.

 ``We're happy to know we've won a little bit of time for Elian,'' said Suazo. ``I'm
 here so my daughters know you should fight for your rights.''

 Gustavo Reina, 65, said he cried. ``We're here to be on the side of justice and
 today we've seen justice in the United States,'' said the former political prisoner.
 ``The emotion of it makes my eyes fill with tears.''

 When Miguel Saavedra, leader of the exile group Vigilia Mambisa, arrived with a
 bottle of champagne, it was a sign that the celebration would get louder.

 The crowd chanted in Spanish, ``Long Live Christ the King!''

 They yelled ``ELIAN ISN'T GOING! HE'S STAYING IN FREEDOM.'' They shouted,
 ``CRAZY FIDEL, YOUR TIME IS ALMOST UP!''

 There were some familiar faces at the party.

 Armando Gutierrez, spokesman for the Gonzalez family, ran into activist Ramon
 Saul Sanchez near the house. The two men stood in the middle of the street,
 hugging and crying.

 ``It's a small victory,'' Gutierrez said. ``We have a fighting chance.''

 Sanchez said, ``I love this child.''

 Miami Mayor Joe Carollo also was swept up in the emotion. Black-clad Mothers
 Against Repression, who have joined hands in daily prayer circles in front of
 Elian's house, embraced him.

 Carollo declared, ``We are a country of laws, unlike Cuba, an outlaw country.''

 Miami-Dade County Mayor Alex Penelas, who also joined the celebration, said of
 the ruling, ``I think it recognizes what a lot of people have been saying for a while
 now -- that this boy has certain due process rights that should be respected.

 Herald staff writers Karen Branch, Tyler Bridges, Don Finefrock and Herald writer
 Mireidy Fernandez also contributed to this report.