Christian Homeschool Family Faces Deportation After 15 years
Christian Homeschool Family Faces Deportation After 15 years:
A German family who came to the United States more than 15 years ago after being hit with a heavy punishment for homeschooling their kids could be deported in the coming weeks, according to the advocacy group that is fighting on their behalf.
The devout Christian Romeike, who entered the country legally in 2008 and is currently living in Tennessee, was informed by their local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office on September 6 that they have four weeks to leave the country.
When the Romeike family asked for refuge because they wanted to homeschool their kids for religious reasons, it made national news.
It was reported that homeschooling is prohibited in Germany, and parents who choose not to enroll their kids in school risk fines, jail time, or even losing custody of their kids.
Due to concerns about anti-Christian and sexual content in the public school curriculum. The Romeikes family was granted asylum in the U.S., but the decision was overturned in 2014.
The family has been allowed to work and homeschool their children. Over the last decade, they have regularly reported to their local ICE office.
The decision by ICE’s to deport the family was reportedly announced during a routine check-in and came as a surprise to the couple and their seven children, two of whom are now adults and married.
“The Romeike family should be able to stay in the United States and home-educate their children,” said HSLDA President Jim Mason in a statement.
Mr. Uwe Romeike, the father, said in an interview with the Knoxville-based WBIR News that being forced to move back to Germany would be disastrous.
According to Mr. Uwe Romeike, “[My family members] work here. Everything is here in America.” “There is nowhere for us to live there. I can’t support my family over there because I don’t have any work there.
The Romeike family, who homeschooled their children in Germany, faced harassment and legal battles in the U.S., but in 2014, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security granted them special status, allowing them to remain in the country.