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27 Congresspersons Ask AG Holder to Stop Deportation of German Homeschoolers
Christian Post ^ | 05/29/2013 | Napp Nazworth

Posted on 05/29/2013 1:59:24 PM PDT by SeekAndFind

A letter signed by 27 members of Congress asks Attorney General Eric Holder to grant asylum to the Romeikes, a German family that fled to the United States after their government threatened to take their kids away from them because they homeschooled.

"A decision to deny the Romeikes the opportunity to educate their children freely is a decision to abandon our commitment to freedom," the letter argues. "Doing so would put America alongside those countries that believe children belong to the community or state."

The Romeikes recently lost a case in the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals in which they were seeking asylum. The court found that the Romeikes should not be granted asylum because homeschoolers do not fit the definition of a particular social group subjected to persecution. The Romeikes could simply send their children to public schools to avoid punishment from the German government, the court reasoned.

The letter, on the other hand, argues that homeschoolers are a particular social group: "Although parents can change their minds about homeschooling, no parent in a free nation should be forced by the state to make that decision."

The Romeikes are represented by the Home School Legal Defense Association, which has said it will appeal the court's decision.

"It's refreshing to see that there are members of Congress who are willing to put their support behind this family during this trying time," said Michael Farris, chairman of HSLDA. "The Romeikes are doing the exact same thing the Pilgrims did hundreds of years ago, and they need to see there are still people in our government who care for this essential American ideal."

The signers of the letter are: Michele Bachmann (R-MN), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Steve Daines (R-MT), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Vicky Hartzler (R-MO), Tim Huelskamp (R-KS), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Randy Hultgren (R-IL), Doug LaMalfa (R-CA), Mark Meadows (R-NC), Luke Messer (R-IN), Jeff Miller (R-FL), Alan Nunnelee (R-MS), Stevan Pearce (R-NM), Joe Pitts (R-PA), Mike Pompeo (R-KS), Bill Posey (R-FL), Phil Roe (R-TN), Todd Rokita (R-IN), Steve Scalise (R-LA), Steve Southerland (R-FL), Chris Stewart (R-UT), Steve Stockman (R-TX), Marlin Stutzman (R-Ind.), Lee Terry (R-NE), Jackie Walorski (R-IN), and Daniel Webster (R-FL).


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Germany; Government
KEYWORDS: deportation; germany; homeschooling
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To: Shimmer1

I did my research.

Personally, I’d love to open our borders to everyone - but first we have to get rid of EVERY entitlement, and have everyone learn English and pass a citizenship test.


21 posted on 05/29/2013 2:29:05 PM PDT by greatvikingone
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To: SeekAndFind

Holder:”Are they black?” Answer:”No.” Holder: “Sorry, I can’t help.”


22 posted on 05/29/2013 2:29:36 PM PDT by beethovenfan (If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
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To: SeekAndFind

I just emailed my (Republican) rep and asked him why he isn’t on the list and urged him to support this.


23 posted on 05/29/2013 2:30:24 PM PDT by Sopater (Is it not lawful for me to do what I will with mine own? - Matthew 20:15a)
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To: stanne

RE: They had better petition Rubio. He’s big on immigration, amnesty and the rest.

Hmmmm... Rubio is not on the list of signatories... is he even aware of this?


24 posted on 05/29/2013 2:33:06 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
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To: SeekAndFind

Looks like there are only 27 Christians in congress


25 posted on 05/29/2013 2:34:13 PM PDT by Lera (Proverbs 29:2)
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To: SeekAndFind

To put this also into some German prospective. There are at least ten thousand Germans who yearly pack up and move to Canada (readily accepted). This family could have easily done that. They are simply being used.

And as for the German system....they really don’t want just any parent to home-school (the vast number would not fit into the category of being an instructor or home-school teacher). I can say this because I lived there for over fifteen years.


26 posted on 05/29/2013 2:36:18 PM PDT by pepsionice
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To: SeekAndFind

Holder won’t lift a finger to help them.


27 posted on 05/29/2013 2:36:24 PM PDT by Cyber Liberty (I am a dissident. Will you join me? My name is John....)
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To: stanne
They had better petition Rubio. He’s big on immigration, amnesty and the rest. Do it very publicly so he can help or show his hypocrisy or both.

Why do you expect Rubio to show up or sign for something like this ? The are the wrong kind of people to line politicians pockets.

Marco Rubio throws Bachmann and other GOP under the bus over letter about Huma Abedin -UPDATE: Audio Added
http://www.therightscoop.com/marco-rubio-throws-bachmann-and-other-gop-under-the-bus-over-letter-about-huma-abedin/

28 posted on 05/29/2013 2:39:36 PM PDT by Lera (Proverbs 29:2)
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To: SeekAndFind

When Elian got carted off to Communism by Clinton-Reno in 2000, there was plenty of posturing by politicians.

Glenn Beck used the phrase ‘over my dead body’ regarding this issue.

We shall see how things play out...

I understand the family lives in Tennessee. State legislators and Governor Haslam of the East Tenn. GOP-E can throw up a roadblock like other states have done over illegal immigration.


29 posted on 05/29/2013 2:45:22 PM PDT by Nextrush (A BALANCED BUDGET NOW AND PRESIDENT SARAH PALIN ARE AT THE TOP OF MY LIST)
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To: pepsionice

So you endorse parents being imprisoned and having their children taken from them when they don’t want their children subjected to state indoctrination?


30 posted on 05/29/2013 2:56:05 PM PDT by kabumpo (Kabumpo)
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To: SeekAndFind

bkmk


31 posted on 05/29/2013 3:07:54 PM PDT by Sergio (An object at rest cannot be stopped! - The Evil Midnight Bomber What Bombs at Midnight)
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To: SeekAndFind

They are toast, big problem.

They are white.


32 posted on 05/29/2013 3:21:01 PM PDT by American in Israel (A wise man's heart directs him to the right, but the foolish mans heart directs him toward the left.)
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To: SeekAndFind
I wonder what would happen if this were an asylum seeking MUSLIM family who homeschool their kids on the Koran.

They would be welcomed with open arms. I noticed all the congress critters who signed the letter, were Republicans. That will really put the fear of God into Holder. He will not do the right thing.

33 posted on 05/29/2013 3:34:30 PM PDT by Mark17 (My heart is in the Philippines, and soon I will be too.)
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To: kabumpo; pepsionice

As I understand the case, the Romeikes are not “being used,” but are actively cooperating with HSLDA. Their goal is not primarily to find a refuge for their family, but to change the situation in Germany so that other families do not have to choose exile in order to educate their children according to their preferences.

HSLDA is the only organization in the world that is interested in and active in promoting parents’ rights in education. Other German homeschooing families have gone elsewhere, but people should not have to leave their home country in order to escape coerced government indoctrination of their children.

Raising the Moslem bugaboo doesn’t change the principle. If parents have the right to direct their children’s education, that means that some parents will make choices we don’t like. Some will be Moslems, some will be (fill in That Religious Group). Some will be atheists. Some will be Communists. Some will be giddy hippies. We either support freedom, or we don’t.


34 posted on 05/29/2013 3:44:09 PM PDT by Tax-chick (The Commie Plot Theory of Everything. Give it a try - you'll be surprised how often it makes sense.)
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To: SeekAndFind

“A letter signed by 27 members of Congress asks Attorney General Eric Holder to grant asylum to the Romeikes, a German family that fled to the United States after their government threatened to take their kids away from them because they homeschooled.”

Yeh that’ll happen. Not.


35 posted on 05/29/2013 3:44:22 PM PDT by Georgia Girl 2 (The only purpose of a pistol is to fight your way back to the rifle you should never have dropped.)
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To: Lera

And Rubio’s charge, protectee, if you will, is the future first lady of NYC well and firmly on her way up. DOn’t lwt her pornographic, laughable husband fool you.

He is a shameless tool of Marco and the MB>

Be Ware


36 posted on 05/29/2013 4:02:53 PM PDT by stanne
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To: Lera

Oh. We’re talking about Weiner. His wife.


37 posted on 05/29/2013 4:05:24 PM PDT by stanne
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To: kabumpo

To put this in the right prospective...the majority of Germans....probably around sixty percent, get what you say is a good tenth-grade education, and followed up with a four-star apprentice/craftsman period. Twenty-five percent get less than that, and end up as cashiers at grocery stores or truckers. And the remainder as university-bound students.

If you took the typical average father and mother at age 35...their math skills, their science knowledge, and ability to teach...might not be anywhere near what a kid needs. So your choice is home-schooling with two very marginal instructors as your parents, or using the German school system. The German education system is a bit more complex than any American would ever care to mess with...trust me.

In this case....Canada readily accepts almost all Germans who apply for a visa or immigration. That’s the odd part to this story. There’s even a weekly TV show in Germany which features the ones who moved there and the satisfaction that they’ve achieved. This family could have applied and been accepted within a couple of months.

All they are...are publicity-seekers....being used by some hocus-pocus political agenda group.


38 posted on 05/29/2013 4:14:53 PM PDT by pepsionice
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To: SeekAndFind; l8pilot; 2A Patriot; 2nd amendment mama; 4everontheRight; 77Jimmy; ...
Jeff Duncan South Carolina bump!

Y'all write your Reps about this. All of 'em (well, maybe excepting Clyburn :) should sign this letter.

Help:

Mark Sanford email

Joe Wilson email

Jeff Duncan (tell him thanks) email

Trey Gowdy email

Mick Mulvaney email

James Clyburn email

Tom Rice email

South Carolina Ping
Send FReepmail to join or leave this list.

Keep up with what our Congresscritters (House and Senate) are doing. Sign up for the free MegaVote email service here.

39 posted on 05/29/2013 4:15:21 PM PDT by upchuck (To the faceless, jack-booted government bureaucrat who just scanned this post: SCREW YOU!)
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To: veracious

When do they have to go back to Germany? This needs more publication.


40 posted on 05/29/2013 4:24:49 PM PDT by abclily
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