While the southern border is wide open allowing illegal aliens, thugs and criminals to flood across...

https://www.tennessean.com/sto...we-know/70985920007/

Evan Mealins
Nashville Tennessean
Sept. 29, 2023 | Updated Oct. 3, 2023

A German family that immigrated to East Tennessee to home-school their children is at risk of deportation from the United States, stoking controversy among home-school advocates and conservatives.

More than 50,000 supporters have signed a petition asking the Biden administration to change the family’s legal status so the Romeike family can remain.

Here’s what we know about their story.

The Romeikes left Germany in 2008 to home-school their children

In 2006, Uwe Romeike and his wife, Hannelore Romeike, began home-schooling their children in Germany because of their evangelical Christian faith. Because home-schooling is not permitted for religious reasons, they were fined and their children were made to attend public schools.

Update: 45 TN lawmakers intervene on behalf of German homeschooling family facing deportation

In order to home-school their five children, the Romeikes moved to Tennessee in August 2008 and settled in Morristown, between Johnson City and Knoxville. They have had two children born in America, both of whom are American citizens as a result.

A judge initially granted their asylum, but it was denied on appeal

In January 2010, Immigration Judge Lawrence O. Burman approved the Romeikes' application for asylum, saying that the “family has a well-founded fear of persecution” by the German government for home-schooling.

According to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, asylum may be granted to "people who have been persecuted or fear they will be persecuted on account of race, religion, nationality, and/or membership in a particular social group or political opinion."

The U.S. Department of Justice appealed the decision. The U.S. Board of Immigration Appeals revoked the family’s asylum status in May 2012 and issued a final order for their removal.

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) represented the Romeike family at their appeal to the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals. A three-judge panel ruled unanimously against the family, writing that they failed to show that Germany's enforcement of its school attendance law “amounts to persecution against them.”

The Supreme Court denied rehearing the Romeikes’ appeal.

How many people are granted asylum?

According to Syracuse University, nearly 2 million people applied for asylum in the U.S. from 2001 through 2022. Just over 600,000 were granted asylum in that time period, according to Homeland Security. From 2013 to 2022, about 15,000 people from Europe were granted asylum. None of those appear to be from Germany. Asia has had the most people granted asylum in the United States with nearly 120,000 people from 2013 through 2022.

Homeland Security let the Romeikes stay despite lacking asylum status

According to HSLDA, the family has been allowed to stay by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security under order of supervision and indefinite deferred action status.

Deferred action is “a discretionary determination to defer a deportation of an individual as an act of prosecutorial discretion,” according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.

Deferred action does not confer lawful status on an individual, and Homeland Security “is permitted to terminate or renew a grant of deferred action at any time based at its discretion.”

Romeikes say they were told in September they have four weeks to leave

The Romeike family says that they were told during a “routine check-in” on Sept. 6 that they had four weeks to secure passports to return to Germany. Since then, their story has circulated through local media and has been picked up by a few national outlets, including conservative-leaning outlets like Fox News and the Washington Times.

Thousands have signed a petition to “Stand with the Romeikes”

Since they were told they would have to leave, the HSLDA has set up a petition that has received just over 56,000 signatures as of publication.

The petition says it is addressed to the Biden administration, which it asks to reinstate the Romeikes’ deferred status and save them from deportation.

Congress is even considering a bill to make them permanent residents

Congress is considering a bill that would grant the Romeikes permanent status as legal residents, with a possible pathway to citizenship. U.S. Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tenn., filed the bill on Sept. 12, and it is being reviewed by the House Judiciary Committee.

Here’s what ICE had to say about the case

When asked by The Tennessean to provide comment and answer several questions about the Romeikes’ case, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement responded with the following statement:

“U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) conducts removals of individuals without a lawful basis to remain in the United States, including at the order of immigration judges with the Justice Department’s Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR). ERO reviews each case as appropriate.”

What else we know about the family

According to HSLDA, Uwe Romeike, patriarch of the family, is a piano accompanist at Carson-Newman University.

There are seven Romeike children, two of whom are married to American citizens, according to HSLDA.

One of the children, Lydia Romeike, is married to reality TV personality Trace Bates of TLC’s “United Bates of America” and UPtv’s “Bringing Up Bates,” which focuses on the lives of Gil and Kelly Bates and their 19 children in Knoxville. Both shows have since been canceled.

Trace Bates was photographed with his brother in crowds at pro-Trump protests in Washington on Jan. 6, 2021. Trace’s brother Lawson Bates said on social media that the two attended a pro-Trump event in Washington's Ellipse Park but were not part of the riot at the U.S. Capitol, according to reporting by the Los Angeles Times.

quote:

They have had two children born in America, both of whom are American citizens as a result.

Wait- isn’t “anchor babies” the reason people from certain south-of-the-border countries are allowed to stay in the US after they are born? What makes this family different… oh yeah. Wrong demographic and conservative to boot. Got it.

German, Mexican. Illegal is illegal.

They have great schools in Germany.

So they should be forced to send their children to the 'state schools', instead of having the opportunity to home school according to their religious beliefs? They at least came here legally, unlike the 20+ million Aliens Invaders that illegally crossed the border to enter this country!

Perhaps Ilhan Omar, the rabid America-hating anti-semite and racist human filth could be deported first, as she committed the crime Immigration Fraud, and certainly undeserving of the privilege to remain here!

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
German, Mexican. Illegal is illegal.

They have great schools in Germany.

It appears these folks are trying to go through the process.

quote:

Originally posted by RR:

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
German, Mexican. Illegal is illegal.

They have great schools in Germany.

It appears these folks are trying to go through the process.

Yup. First, they didn't sneak into this country illegally. Second, Germany having great schools is totally irrelevant. Mars_Attacks should really read the article.

I read the article.

The judge ruled they had no case. They tried the anchor baby trick, which I find nothing but cheating.

Germany has fine schools and don't hang people for their religion.

You're accusing the family of having children to qualify as 'anchor babies'? Kinda jaded thinking there...Got a link to info substantiating their nefarious intent to game the system?

Re: Germany and it's fine schools, it's doesn't matter how 'fine' they are if the parents want to make other choices based on their religious beliefs, which is apparently prohibited by German law!

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:

Here’s what we know about their story.

The Romeikes left Germany in 2008 to home-school their children


The Supreme Court denied rehearing the Romeikes’ appeal.

2008 is a long time ago, I don't think we are getting the complete story.

Well, the pic from 2009 shows that a couple of their younger kids that could be recent college graduates, but we don't know how old their the two youngest children are though. Regardless, it's possible (likely?) the last paragraph of the article is a glimpse at the reasoning for the 'urgent' 4-week notice Deportation order.

quote:

Originally posted by nhracecraft:
Well, the pic from 2009 shows that a couple of their younger kids that could be recent college graduates, but we don't know how old their the two youngest children are though. Regardless, it's possible (likely?) the last paragraph of the article is a glimpse at the reasoning for the 'urgent' 4-week notice Deportation order.

I'm not sure on this, but I would hope they have not been allowed to vote all this time either way.

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I read the article.

The judge ruled they had no case. They tried the anchor baby trick, which I find nothing but cheating.

Germany has fine schools and don't hang people for their religion.

The real issue here is the selective enforcement of immigration laws.

quote:

Originally posted by Sclass:

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
I read the article.

The judge ruled they had no case. They tried the anchor baby trick, which I find nothing but cheating.

Germany has fine schools and don't hang people for their religion.

The real issue here is the selective enforcement of immigration laws.

Exactly my point. The commie government fights tooth and nail to protect their actual illegal entrants but people going through the proper channels but lacking melanin are somehow different… can’t quite put my finger on it…

I have a friend that is English,
he has a Green card, (permament resident alien) that he let expire, (says he completely forgot about it) and was genuinely worried he was going to get snatched up and deported,


jokingly, I said there are worse countries to get deported to,, (UK,, good beer!)


he went ahead and submitted the paperwork and got approved relatively quickly,

he is married to a US citizen and has a kid as well that was born in the US

They are perceived as Pro Trump . It's going to be an uphill battle .

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
German, Mexican. Illegal is illegal.

They have great schools in Germany.

They used to have great schools. My opinion is based on 11 years in German, married to a German woman, and extensive working with German government employees. From what I hear nowadays, it has "slipped" a bit.

quote:

Originally posted by Elk Hunter:

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:
German, Mexican. Illegal is illegal.

They have great schools in Germany.

They used to have great schools. My opinion is based on 11 years in German, married to a German woman, and extensive working with German government employees. From what I hear nowadays, it has "slipped" a bit.

The demographics have changed .

quote:

Originally posted by Mars_Attacks:

Germany has fine schools and don't hang people for their religion.

Maybe not hanging, but there is no question that they used other methods to kill millions, for being the "wrong religion."

This message has been edited. Last edited by: V-Tail,

quote:

Originally posted by selogic:
They are perceived as Pro Trump . It's going to be an uphill battle .

Yep.
What people have to realize is that our southern border is wide open for a reason. The Democrats believe that they will achieve permanent victory through demographics. They are importing a permanent majority. Once they turn Texas blue, Republicans can never again win the Presidency. So the thinking goes.

These people don't fit the mold, so they can be "tough on immigration" situationally.

Maybe they have quotas for deportations each year?

They're still deporting people adopted in the 1970s from South Korea. It doesn't matter they have been in the US for 50+ years, families, no crimes, and have built businesses. If some form was lost in the mail in the 1970s or a government office forgot to file something, that grandmother is deported to a country where they know nobody and don't even speak the language.