The Romeike family, originally from Germany, has been living in East Tennessee for 15 years, but now they face an uncertain and devastating predicament that could result in deportation back to their home country.
According to reports, Uwe and Hannelore Romeike, along with their children, fled to the United States after facing fines for homeschooling their children in Germany, where homeschooling is considered illegal.
The Romeike family’s journey began when they left Germany after authorities there imposed fines for their choice to homeschool their children, citing the country’s goal of fostering an open and pluralistic society.
In their pursuit of a more accommodating environment for homeschooling, they sought asylum in the United States. Initially, an immigration judge found their asylum claim appropriate, stating that the Romeike family had a well-founded fear of persecution due to their participation in the particular social category of homeschoolers.
Kevin Boden, an attorney representing the Romeike family, explained, “The Obama administration appealed that decision to the Board of Immigration Appeals. That appeal court agreed with them, as did the Sixth Circuit, and the Supreme Court denied it… We think this is, in fact, an asylum case. We do think they have a well-founded fear.”
However, their asylum claim was eventually denied, with authorities arguing that they weren’t persecuted in Germany due to their homeschooling practices. Despite the initial support for their asylum claim, their stay in the United States now faces an uncertain future.
The Romeike family’s plight is compounded by the fact that homeschooling remains illegal in Germany, and if deported, they would likely face the same persecution they fled from years ago.
“They did not tell us anything. We don’t really know why [this is happening]. We wonder ourselves because we can’t understand,” Uwe Romeike said in a recent interview.
Hannelore Romeike added, “[Homeschooling] is illegal [in Germany].”
Their attorney, Kevin Boden, also emphasized the ongoing persecution faced by homeschooling families in Germany: “I can tell you today, I talked to families today that have fear in Germany, and the fight there, the persecution there, is very real today as it was 15 years ago.”
The Romeike family’s future remains uncertain as they await further legal decisions regarding their immigration status, raising questions about the balance between parental rights and educational policies in both Germany and the United States.
