German family to continue homeschooling in U.S.

A Christian family who fled Germany seeking freedom to homeschool their children has permission to stay in the United States for one more year, their lawyers said Monday. The Romeikes have lived in the United States for 15 years without permanent residency status. Last year, the Biden administration told the Romeikes they would soon have to return to Germany, according to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association.

But last week, immigration officials told the Romeikes they could stay in the United States for another year. That was consistent with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s usual treatment of the Romeikes, their attorneys said. The family’s legal status remained unchanged. They’re under government supervision but are not allowed to permanently reside in the United States. However, Home School Legal Defense Association attorneys are working to guarantee the Romeikes’ permanent residence, the organization said.

Why can’t the Romeikes homeschool their children in Germany? The country does not permit parents to homeschool their children, according to the homeschool nonprofit organization. German parents cannot obtain that right either by citing religious or pedagogical convictions, the organization said. Some parents have managed to homeschool their children in Germany but have not done so without legal difficulties, the agency said.

The Romeike family believes they are responsible to God for the children’s education, according to the organization. The parents decided in 2006 to home-educate their children in Germany due to growing concern over the content of the German public school’s curriculum—particularly anti-Christian and sexual elements. They entered the United States in 2008 and applied for asylum.

Dig deeper: Read Daniel R. Suhr’s column in WORLD Opinions about the Biden administration’s decision last year that the Romeikes had to leave.