German homeschool family receives congressional support amid deportation threats from Biden admin

Thirty-two congressmen and thousands of Americans have lent their support to the Romeike family, who left Germany in 2008 to be able to homeschool their children.

Despite being peaceful, legal residents of the U.S. for 15 years, the Romeikes were informed in September they were being deported back to Germany. 

But 32 congressmen, led by Rep. Diana Harshbarger, R-Tennessee, sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland and Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas asking that the homeschool family be granted asylum. 

“Should the Romeike family be required to return to Germany, the government will not recognize their children’s education and they may be unable to find work,” the letter reads. “Further, the German government will very likely seek to remove the minor children of the Romeike family – American citizens – from the custody of their parents, as well as penalize members of the Romeike family with jail time and punitive fines.” 

Home education is currently illegal in Germany for any student between the ages of 6 and 15. 

Since fleeing to the U.S., the Romeikes have welcomed two more children, and two of their older children have married American citizens. 

The father, Uwe Romeike, told the Christian Broadcasting Network (CBN) they’ve fully embraced their life in America.  

“I don’t identify myself much as a German anymore,” he said. “We wouldn’t know where to go. We would land on a German airport without a place to live, without work, no way of making a living.” 

Harshbarger has even introduced a bill, HB 5423, to prevent the Romeikes’ deportation. It is currently being considered by the House Judiciary Committee.  

The Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) has been assisting the Romeikes for years and launched a new petition in their support which already has over 100,000 signatures.  

In a press release, HSLDA also reported over 17,000 messages were sent to congressmen by their constituents advocating for the homeschool family.