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Team Obama wins fight to have Christian home-school family deported
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Uwe and Hannelore Romeike came to the United States in 2008 seeking political asylum. They fled their German homeland in the face of religious persecution for homeschooling their children.
They wanted to live in a country where they could raise their children in accordance with their Christian beliefs.
The Romeikes were initially given asylum, but the Obama administration objected - claiming that German laws that outlaw homeschooling do not constitute persecution.
"The goal in Germany is for an open, pluralistic society," the Justice Department wrote in a legal brief last year. "Teaching tolerance to children of all backgrounds helps to develop the ability to interact as a fully functioning citizen in Germany."
On Monday, the Supreme Court declined to hear the Romeike's appeal - paving the way for the Christian family of eight to be deported.
"I think this is a part of the Obama administration's overall campaign to crush religious freedom in this country," said Michael Farris, chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association. His organization is representing family.
"The Obama administration's attitude toward religious freedom, particularly religious freedom for Christians is shocking," he told me in an exclusive telephone interview. "I have little doubt that if this family had been of some other faith that the decision would have never been appealed in the first place. They would have let this family stay."
Had the family stayed in Germany, where homeschooling is illegal, they would have faced the prospect of losing their children. Like the Pilgrims, they fled their homeland yearning for a place where they could be free.
Farris said the religious bias perpetrated by the Obama administration is "palpable."
"It's a denial of the essence of America," he said. "The Pilgrims left England to go to Holland to seek religious freedom. They came here to seek religious freedom and parental rights for their children. Had this administration been waiting at Plymouth Rock, they would've told the Pilgrims to go back home."
There are nearly 12 million illegal immigrants living in the United States. You'd think the Obama administration could find a place eight immigrants who want to live here legally.
Farris said the Supreme Court's decision not to hear the case sends a chilling message to Americans who currently home school their children.
"This administration thinks it's a privilege to home school - not a right," he told me. "We'd better buckle down and be ready to fight them every step of the way."
As for now, the Romeike family will be able to stay at their four-acre farm in the eastern Tennessee. But it's only a matter of time before the Obama administration begins formal deportation proceedings |
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Supreme Court Denies Review of Romeike German Homeschoolers' Appeal
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The United States Supreme Court has denied review in the appeal of the Romeike parents, German homeschoolers who sought and were granted asylum in the U.S. to avoid losing custody of their children in their country, where homeschooling is largely illegal. The Obama administration appealed the decision of the immigration judge who granted the family asylum.
The Obama administration's appeal of the 2010 decision that granted the family asylum based on religious freedom grounds prevailed on two levels of appeals. The Supreme Court had ordered the U.S. Solicitor General to respond to the Romeikes' petition.
In a press release, Michael Farris, Chairman of the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) and lead counsel for the Romeikes in the appellate courts, said, "While this is the end of the line for normal legal appeals, we are not giving up."
Farris also said that there is a clear split in the treatment of human rights standards among federal circuits and that there is confusion among the circuits about how to determine when a law that applies to everyone and doesn't appear discriminatory can still be used to persecute certain groups.
"We will pursue changes to the asylum law in this country to insure that religious freedom is once again vigorously protected in our policy," Farris said. "I am just glad that the Pilgrims did not face this anti-religious policy when they landed at Plymouth Rock."
"The United States should be a place of asylum for those who are persecuted because of their decision to follow their core religious beliefs," Farris said. "Parents, not the government, decide first how children are educated. Germany's notorious persecution of families who homeschool violates their own obligations to uphold human rights standards and must end."
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Homeschoolers Under Attack
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Trevor and Christina Tutt are a Texas family with five biological and three adopted children. They were licensed through Child Protective Services as foster parents who could accept children with special needs into their home. In the past six months they have faced forcible removal of their biological, adopted, and foster children and increased scrutiny and punitive actions from government and law enforcement officials because they homeschool the children.
As described by the Washington Times (1-9-14):
According to a report by the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC), a homeschool advocacy group, the catalyst for the eventual removal came on September 11 when a four-year-old child with autism who was temporarily in their care wandered away from home. The Tutt's eight-year-old child followed and stayed with the four-year-old. Both children were found and returned to the home by a police officer, who voiced concerns about the number of children in the home as well as the fact that the four-year-old had soiled himself during the incident, according to THSC. The officer reported the family to Child Protective Services, which then launched an investigation.
During the September 2013 incident Trevor Tutt, the father, was aware that the children were out of the house and was looking for them when the officer found them first.
"So Many Children"
An investigating Child Protective Services caseworker, while documenting that there was no problem in the home, remarked that, "Nobody in their right mind would want to stay home all day with so many children!" As a result, Christina Tutt had to undergo psychological examinations and enroll in parenting classes. Although documentation of her stable mental health and certificates of completion of parenting classes were presented, they were deemed insufficient.
In November 2013 armed law enforcement officers seized all children from the home and they remained in state custody until January 2014.
Christina and Trevor Tutt were in family court for eight hours in November. As described by Tim Lambert of the Texas Home School Coalition:
The hearing quickly devolved into a relentless attack on this family's religious beliefs, community service, and right to homeschool their children - with no legal basis at all. Child Protective Service attorneys berated Mrs. Tutt for not using a 'state-certified home school curriculum,' in spite of the fact that there is no such thing in Texas. The guardian ad litem denigrated her for not submitting documentation of her homeschooling to the state on a regular basis, including state-mandated tests. This, of course, is not only not required, but there is no way for someone to do so in Texas (Christian News Network, 1-9-14).
After the November hearing, family court Judge Graciela Olvera ordered the children to remain in foster care and that the parents undergo "counseling, psychiatric evaluations, drug and alcohol testing, and [attend] parenting classes."
On January 7, a different judge held a hearing solely about the issue of the children's removal from the Tutt home. Having found there was no abuse or neglect, four of the children were returned to the Tutt family home but the two children whose adoptions were pending were not returned to the family. While officials further evaluate the quality of education the family provides, the court is forcing the children to attend public school.
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What TN is doing....
The Romeike family lives in Morristown, TN, which is in Rep. Tilman Goins district. Trying to do what he could to encourage protection for the Romeikes, Rep. Goins introduced Memorials, Congress - Urges the Tennessee Congressional Delegation to influence the Department of Justice to ensure that the Romeike family is granted asylum. Based on this most recent development, he will adjust the language to do what we can to help this homeschooling family.
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PRIVILEGE TAX!!
For all these 27 years I have KNOWN that it WAS a 'privilege' to represent the families of Tennessee at the Capitol. However, in recent years I have to pay $400 a year FOR that 'privilege'!! I received the annual bill a few days ago.
If you would be willing to help with this expense, you can send your donation to 3216 Bluewater Trace, Nashville, 37217, or go to our website, scroll down and on the left use PayPal. We would be VERY grateful!
Donations are not tax deductible
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