Posted on 03/04/2014 12:51:44 PM PST by Mrs. Don-o
On Tuesday, the Home School Legal Defense Association (HSLDA) announced a drastic turnaround on the part of the federal government: The German Romeike family, which sought asylum in the United States to home-school their children, will now be allowed to stay in America.
“The Romeikes can stay!!!” the HSLDA announced on its Facebook page.
Just one day ago, the Romeikes thought they would be forced to return to Germany, where the state could take custody of their children because of their decision to home-school. At a minimum, they would face increasingly harsh fines for violating Germany’s compulsory attendance law.
Uwe and Hannelore Romeike have been fighting to remain in the United States since 2008, when they fled to Tennessee, but the Supreme Court declined to hear their appeal for asylum on Monday.
Uwe and Hannelore Romeike (in the center) and their six children stand with Michael Farris and other members of their legal team (Photo Credit: Home School Legal Defense Association) ion)
A post on the HSLDA’s Facebook wall signed by the organization’s chairman explains the change:
"Today, a Supervisor with the Department of Homeland Security called a member of our legal team to inform us that the Romeike family has been granted “indefinite deferred status”. This means that the Romeikes can stay in the United States permanently (unless they are convicted of a crime, etc.)
"This is an incredible victory that can only be credited to our Almighty God.
"We also want to thank those of who spoke up on this issue–including that long ago White House petition. We believe that the public outcry made this possible while God delivered the victory.
"This is an amazing turnaround in 24 hours. Praise the Lord.
"Proverbs 21: 1 The king’s heart is like a stream of water directed by the Lord, He guides it wherever He pleases."
~~Michael Farris
The family has claimed Germany’s laws violate international human rights standards, but the U.S. Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals concluded last year that U.S. law does not grant asylum to “every victim of unfair treatment.”
When the Supreme Court declined to hear the case, the HSLDA said the “last judicial hope for the family” had been exhausted. The 24-hour turnaround by the U.S. legal system was highly unexpected.
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Programming note: Family attorney Michael Farris will be on TheBlaze TV’s “The Glenn Beck Program” at 5 p.m. ET to discuss the breaking details of this case.
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“This government did not want to set the precedent of establishing Christianity as a persecuted class entitled to asylum.”
And that goes double for the Supreme Court.
This might have something to do with it as well...
EXCERPT:
Christians in an east Tennessee community are vowing to engage in civil disobedience if the Obama administration initiates deportation proceedings against a Southern Baptist family from Germany who sought asylum in the United States so that they could home school their children.
“It may require civil disobedience with this bunch,” said Rep. Phil Roe (R-Tenn.), who represents the congressional district where the Romeike family lives.
There is actually a lot of precedent that Christians can be a persecuted class for purposes of the asylum statute, but those cases involved countries where merely being a Christian, or converting to Christianity, results in imprisonment or worse. What the Government didn't want was a precedent that the denial of the right to homeschool is in and of itself persecution.
I think it's a bit more involved than that. I think the government did not want to set the precedent of establishing Christianity as a persecuted class in a Western European country entitled to asylum.
“indefinite deferred status”
this is not a change in the DHS & Holder Justice Dept legal arguments that threw out their asylum status - that argument won in the lower courts and SCOTUS declined to hear the case
all DHS has done is, in spite of denying their request for asylum, giving them a “deferred” status (like “no decision to deport”) with no preset time limit
we still need to reverse, in the courts DHS and Justice legal case that denied the asylum.
this is NOT victory for their “asylum”
they are just letting them stay anyway
That is OUR Congressman. His stock just went way up with me and it was already pretty high.
That’s a good point too. Germany has got to be embarrassed and rightly so.
Thanks for that clarification. You are exactly right about the limited significance of “deferred,” which only applies to the Romeikes.
It is also possible that Dear Leader wanted to get back at Merkel for embarrassing him over his spying on her cell phone.
I think barqy and holder would love them some civil disobedience. It’s those rat sinators who would want to avoid it until after the election.
If he wanted to get back at Merkel, he could have awarded this family asylum. That would have been a very public statement that Christians are being persecuted in Germany. But he didn’t do that - he fought the asylum application all the way, and then granted them something much less than asylum, without the corresponding implication re: persecution.
Agree on this point, and add that Obummer want immigration reform and can not have this controversy while he and Bonner are arm twisting RINOs
Thank God
I take your point, but the Romeike appeal for asylum has been going on for more than 3 years. The Merkel phone incident just happened recently. Am not saying the Merkel angle was decisive or instrumental just an added dig of petty politics by OweBowMao.
US govt. makes its point of persecuted western Christians seeking asylum need not apply while also taking a stab at Merkel/Germany.
Thank you!
Well, everything this administration does is an attempt at manipulation. I think a lot of us are desensitized to that. But here’s the thing. God plays hardball better than anybody. Think you’re shrewd? God is shrewder. Got conspiracy? God’s got a better one. We may not be able to see all that He is up to, but you can rest assured He will get His will done despite the best efforts of the “clever” to thwart it. And apparently it is His will, for now, that this family remains free, here, to raise their children in godliness, and it is God who should be thanked.
Hey I totally agree. But this pusswad of a president doesn’t even have what it takes to really piss off Merkel by granting full asylum to the Romeikes.
He just wanted to give her a schoolboy prank poke; nor did he want to give a total victory to the worldwide Christian community like you say.
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