- The Washington Times - Sunday, October 8, 2023

A German family who immigrated to the U.S. in 2008 to escape their native country’s ban on homeschooling has won a one-year reprieve from deportation, a House Republican said Friday.

Rep. Diana Harshbarger of Tennessee said Immigration and Customs Enforcement granted a reprieve from deportation for Uwe and Hannelore Romeike and their seven children, after having told the family on Sept. 6 they had four weeks to obtain German passports and return there.

“Good news! ICE has granted a one-year stay of removal for the Romeike family,” Ms. Harshbarger wrote on Facebook. “My colleagues in Congress, beginning with those on the Judiciary Committee, now have time to consider my bill, H.R. 5423.”

The Romeikes are residents of Morristown, Tennessee. Two of their minor children were born in the U.S. and are citizens; two older children have married U.S. citizens. The remaining three children have “aged out” of the education system, making them targets for deportation.

The family was given no explanation for the Biden administration’s decision, but expected to meet with ICE in early October with passports in hand, their attorney, Kevin Boden of the Home School Legal Defense Association told The Washington Times last month.

Ms. Harshbarger has sponsored legislation to confer immigrant visas or “permanent resident status” on the Romeikes.

She credited “the 100,000 Americans” who signed petitions supporting the Romeikes, including “many East Tennesseans” with influencing the decision to grant a stay.

“I would also like to thank the Home School Legal Defense Association for its guidance in helping me secure this one-year stay as a stopgap so my work to pass H.R. 5423 may continue,” Ms. Harshbarger said.

According to an Instagram post by the Home School Legal Defense Association on Friday, Mr. Boden said ICE is working on the paperwork to grant the stay.

“I spoke personally with the ICE officer in Knoxville, who told me we can anticipate them signing the order of supervision out for another year,” the Romeikes’ attorney said in the post. “And while we are very grateful for this news, we are continuing to advocate for a long-term solution for the Romeike family to allow their permanent stay in the United States.”

Germany outlawed homeschooling in 1919, Deutsche Welle reported. Exceptions to the compulsory education laws are rare.

The homeschooling association said the Romeikes sought in 2006 to educate their children at home over concerns the German public school curriculum featured anti-Christian teachings and “sexual elements.”

After their U.S. arrival in 2008, an initial grant of asylum was overturned on appeal, and it seemed the family would have to return to Germany. After a round of public pressure, the Romeikes were granted “indefinite deferred action” status in 2013 by the Obama administration.

• Mark A. Kellner can be reached at mkellner@washingtontimes.com.

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