What’s New for Romeike Family?
Radio Commentary, 90.7, 91.7 New Life FM, January 3, 2014 – By Sue Ella Deadwyler
Good morning, Jim. Three days into the New Year I wonder about the Romeike family that left Germany in 2010 and were granted asylum in the U.S. In Germany they faced huge fines and the possibility of losing their children to the state if they continued home-schooling. The Romeikes are Evangelical Christians who believe in the God-given right to determine the education of their children.
After they were granted asylum, the Justice Department filed suit, asking the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the lower court decision and the Justice Department won. The Sixth Circuit Court ruled that Germany’s ban on home-schooling was NOT persecution of Christian freedom and did NOT qualify for political asylum. In response, the Romeikes’ lawyer explained the position of German courts with this statement, “The German Supreme Court says that they want to suppress religious and philosophical minorities.”
The court sided with the Justice Department and reversed their asylum in April 2013. The Romeikes face deportation, but that’s not the end of the story. On October 11, 2013 the Christian News Wire reported that the Home School Legal Defense Association had filed a petition with the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the case of Romeike v. Holder. So, they’re back in court. They are not on welfare. They have never been accused of any sort of neglect in the United States and they are supporting their children and themselves.Now, contrast that story with some hard facts about illegal aliens. Only five states have more illegal aliens than Georgia has, and more will, surely, come if the borders aren’t closed. Refugees by the thousands are brought into Georgia regularly, where they are supported, housed, fed, trained, educated, and served by countless organizations and agencies, all at taxpayer expense. Clarkston is home to “fugees” from 54 countries, 761 ethnic groups, speaking a total of 47 different languages, and 2500 more are sent there every year.
They are gathered from third-world countries and brought here to become wards of the state for at least five years, probably longer. So, I have a simple question. Why can’t the United States find space for a persecuted family of self-supporting, Christian people who, simply, want to educate their children by their own standards? If the Romeikes were not Christians, would they be allowed to stay? For Georgia Insight I’m Sue Ella Deadwyler, your Capitol correspondent.