Why Keeping the Romeikes in America is About Much More than Immigration

For the past decade and a half, the Romeike family’s otherwise tranquil sojourn in the Tennessee foothills has been marred by an unnerving ritual.

Each year, on behalf of themselves and their children, Uwe and Hannelore Romeike have checked in with immigration authorities to learn whether they would be permitted to remain in the United States—the country they fled to in 2008 for the sake of conscience and faith.

Their legal status has never been entirely secure. The family’s original request for asylum was granted in 2010, then overturned by immigration officials. Five years of legal battles followed, and the outcome led to officials indefinitely deferring action on their deportation. However, the Romeikes remain under court orders to leave the country and have to report annually to their local Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Tennessee.

As time passed, however, it was easy to believe these annual visits had become mere formalities. Like typical American homeschool parents, Uwe and Hannelore settled into a routine and watched their family expand and their children grow, learn, fall in love, marry, and launch careers.