The Obama administration is attempting to deport a Christian family from Germany that immigrated to America legally. The Romeike famly sought and was granted asylum in the United States so they could legally homeschool their children.
German law requires ever child to attend a public school. If Hannelor and Uwe did not agree to stop homeschooling their children, they faced criminal prosecution, jail time, and even the removal of the children. Adolph Hitler outlawed homeschooling in 1938, and the law has not been repealed in the decades since.
The German Supreme court decided that the national public school mandate was necessary to stop growth of religious and philosophical development, which could motivate “parallel societies.” Since the 2007 ruling, German officials started to crack down on homeschooling families.
Before a Homeschool Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) helped the Romeike family, the children had been taken away for a time. A Memphis immigration judge granted the family asylum in 2010. Judge Lawrence Burman felt the Romeike family would face persecution over religious beliefs if they returned to Germany.
The family settled into life in America, very grateful for their small Tennessee farm and the right to homeschool their children. The Romeike family’s celebration was short-lived. When an appeal filed in the homeschooling case reached the Sixth circuit, trouble loomed on the horizon. The Obama administration’s Justice Department wants the Christian family deported back to Germany.
Eric Holder’s claims homeschooling is not a fundamental right and there would only be a violation of human rights if the homeschooling ban impacted only some of the population. HSLDA President Michael Farris rejects the Obama administration’s views on the case. Farris stated that Attorney General Eric Holder was not understanding that religious freedom is indeed an individual right.
Farris also said, “Our own government is attempting to send them back. Something important being said about our own liberties as American homeschoolers.”
The homeschooling group also maintained that the US Supreme Court has not left any wiggle room when it comes to the individual rights associated with religious freedom.
How do you feel about the Obama administration trying to deport the Christian homeschooling family?
