With the Bates' reality TV involvement, Trace Bates is no stranger to the public eye, but some of our readers might not know that Lydia's family has also been featured in the news, and that started long before she and Trace were married.
The Romeikes are originally from Germany and have lived in the United States for 15 years. They moved to this country in search of asylum because they wanted the freedom to homeschool, and as a result have garnered attention from the media. Just before baby Ryker's arrival, the Romeike family went to a routine check-in at an immigration office and was told to return one month from that day for self-deportation. Even though Lydia is married to a U.S. citizen, she is also facing deportation. Lydia's parents, Uwe and Hannelore Romeike, have seven children. Five are adults, and two are under the age of 18.
We encourage you to pray for Trace, Lydia, and the Romeike family as they face this potentially life-changing situation. Trace uploaded a new YouTube video explaining the details (link below). You can also take a look at a 2014 ABC News article written about the Romeikes to learn even more about the family's case. According to the article, they were also facing possible deportation at that time but ended up having their deferred action status extended indefinitely.
What!? This is so unfair! To deport a law abiding family who came here legally and with permission while letting in millions of illegals at the southern border to stay where they please is utter and complete injustice!
ReplyDeleteAMEN
Delete100% agree!
DeleteThe law is the same for everybody. If they obey the law, they have to leave. They always knew they had to leave once the kids turn 18 on the grounds they were allowed to stay. In all those years they did not care to apply to stay on other ground. There are also may christ honouring illegal immigrants worki g rwally hard and when they get caught the law also applies to them.
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DeleteIt is very fair. Breaking up families is what we do in the USA
DeleteAnon 12:21 The law is the same for everybody??? What!! There are a couple million people that have invaded our country, coming over the border from all over the world and we don't even know who they are. They are given bus tickets, plane tickets, food vouchers, cell phones, motel rooms, clothes and the majority of them are able body men who if they were being persecuted in their own country they surely wouldn't be leaving the children and women behind like they are doing. They lied to get here. But this administration is letting them lie and break the law anyway. So No the law is absolutely not the same for everyone.
Delete4:03 Exactly, the groups of fighting age men coming in by the hundreds and hundreds of thousands don't leave the vulnerable women and children behind if they were being persecuted, they fight and give their lives for them against persecution. This administration is lawless and condones this while they send our American men into wars to preserve the freedom and sovereignty of other nations. Its criminal what is going on!
DeleteOver two thirds of the illegal aliens that have invaded our border are military age men and so don't be fooled into thinking these are persecuted people who are fleeing their homelands. Military age men don't leave their wives, children and mothers behind if they are understood severe persecution. This is nothing but the democratic agenda to get new voters. The reason they target Lydia's family is because they are Christians who wouldn't be voting democratic. Please vote in the 2024 election so we can get these America haters and Christian haters out of office!
Delete6:21 Did you ever stop and think why men that age might want to flee a country where they're targets and where they have no job prospects? Most aren't married and don't have children, BTW. Yeah, I'm voting in 2024 and so is my spouse and so are my kids. Probably not for who you are though.
DeleteAnon 3:55 You don't get to break into a country because you want a better job, you stand inline like the rest of the legal asylum seekers and you wait your turn. Military age men do not leave their women and children behind by the million if their land is that dangerous! Stop making excuses for lawlessness and have some respect and pride for our country. You are absolutely right that you won't be voting for who I'm voting for along with my sisters and brothers and all our kids and aunts and uncles and parents who love our country.
DeleteActually 3:55 There were and are reporters at the border who interviewed the illegals and they came right out and asked them why they were coming here and they came right out and said "they were coming because they were told to come and told all the freebies they would get once they got here. This was all purposely done by this administration. . We have become the welfare state for all the world and the bill for it all is handed to the hardworking US taxpayers.
Delete@12:41 I assume you are going to pick your own crops and process your own meat then, if you don't want anyone coming here to do those jobs and 100 other jobs that you and your kids probably don't want to do, yet expect to get done. Supermarket shelves don't fill themselves - it starts with workers, migrant workers, and workers on permits. You can apply for a work permit once here, wait the required time, and then work. This is exactly what thousands do - work here and send the money back home to family to support them. What would you like this country to do in the meantime? Watch people starve to death or freeze to death without any help? That's not very Christian. That's not a country to be proud of. Of course they'll get "freebies" at first. We have an obligation as humans to help our fellow man. But there are ones (on the news and in the press) begging for a job RIGHT NOW. They want to work.
Delete@8:39 That voting plan didn't seem to work out for your family last time. Not even violence could produce desired results. But that is what some "America loving" folks thought was the right thing to do. People lost their lives because of it! The way some people act when they don't get their way is shameful. You mentioned lawlessness, I believe. We all saw it happen.
DeleteThis is sickening! We have a government allowing millions to enter the US illegally- with no vetting, no proof of vaccinations, et al, but the government does this. Wake up people!! Demand justice! Demand to close the border.
ReplyDeleteAmen!!
DeleteAmen!!! I pray that Elon Musk helped shine a light on what's really going on at our border since 99 percent of the mainstream news media do not even cover the lawless insanity going down there.
DeleteHow can ICE even consider sending away the nursing mother of a US citizen? This is not right. Totally unjust. How many thousands of illegals have come over the border who commit crimes and aren't deported? And it's Lydia's family that gets told to get lost when they obeyed our immigration laws? What miscarriage of justice is that? I pray God spares Trace and Lydia this ordeal.
ReplyDeleteThey don’t send away all mothers of US citizens that enter illegally (unlike beautiful Lydia, whose family entered legally)- this is sickening. Prayers.
DeleteThe baby will be allowed to go with her, I'm sure.
DeleteOkay what about Lydia's two youngest siblings? If they were born here in the US doesn't that mean they're citizens? How can they deport them? And besides they can't be homeschooled in Germany! The Romeikes will have the same problem they fled Germany to start with! This is so wrong! Oh I pray God that Lydia can stay. Trace would have to go to a country where he won't be able to exercise his religious beliefs. He and Lydia are going to homeschool! They can't go to Germany. This is awful. It's unjust! Kick out the immigrants who disobey our laws not the ones who obey.
ReplyDeleteFYI, we have religious freedom here... It's one of the very first articles of our constitution.
DeleteCompulsory education may be the law in Germany, but you can still teach your kids at home on your own time- no one can stop you.
DeleteYeah, I know. I have no idea why you said that to my comment. I"m not talking about America's freedoms I'm talking about the lack of certain freedoms in Germany.
DeleteThe thing is that homeschooling is not a matter of religious persecution, Christian schools do exist in Germany. They should have filed the paperwork for residency once their asylum was overturned.
Delete3:16 It could be they're being deported because their original request was asylum to homeschool their children and the youngest child they have born in Germany just turned 18. Permission was granted for them to stay based on the kids they had at the time, not future children born in the US.
Delete9:59 - They are being persecuted because they are Christians. That's the only reason. No different than traditional Catholics. But let all the anchor babies' illegal mothers and brothers and uncles and aunts stay indefinitely. People need to wake up. This is Biblical. And if you are not a believer, then go to one of your degenerate websites. Honestly.
DeleteI understand it is a difficult situation to be forced to move after so many year. But just to make the facts clear. They would have been able to homeschool in a number of neighbouring countries in Europe without needing to apply for an asylum. They have never been forced to flee to the US.
ReplyDeleteYes,I live in Ireland and homeschooling is allowed here,Ellie will you please let the Romeike family know about Ireland in case they are deported, oh and as for work to able to support themselves factories in Ireland will employ anyone and there are a vast majority hiring people at the moment, just finding a place to live might take some time,they could stay at cheaper hotels to start with they are called hostels,hope they can sort it out ,they are not forced to homeschool in Germany.
DeleteI hope it all goes well.
ReplyDeleteI was homeschooling my children all those years ago when the news came out about the Romeike family. We were so sad that they were going through this and prayed for them. We were so happy to hear they came to America and would have the same freedom we did to homeschool our children. It’s sad that this wonderful, law abiding family is now facing deportation. It’s politically motivated. I am again praying for the Romeike family to be able to stay here in the United States. God bless them. Much love.🙏❤️
ReplyDeleteIs there some reason the family didn't obtain US citizenship? 15 years in the US is a long time. Were they planning to go back to Germany once they'd finished homeschooling all the kids?
ReplyDeleteIt takes forever to get citizenship- they are pursuing it properly and legally, which is the reason they are being subjected to more strict rules than those who do it illegally. Playing by the rules doesn’t always result in fair treatment. It’s not like this family is a drain on resources, they contribute and enhance this country.
DeleteThey overstayed a visa. They got legal from DACA. Why is that considered legal for them but should be ignored by others from southern countries?
Delete10:41 My brother-in-law obtained his US citizenship in just over a year. If this family hasn't become citizens in the past 15 years, they weren't really trying.
DeleteExactly!
DeleteHow was it religious persecution when every German has to follow the compulsory education law?
ReplyDeleteBecause they wanted to teach their children Christian values and not have them indoctrinated by the government run schools. It’s happening here in the United States too. There’s an anti-Christian atmosphere in schools. Our family experienced this when we sent our kids to public school and that is why we pulled them out and decided to homeschool them.
DeleteBecause it's not.
DeleteBecause it's not religious persecution to treat everyone the same. They just want special privileges
Delete2:13 How are US public schools anti- Christian? I taught for 35 years and we were required to remain neutral and follow separation of church and state. You cannot expect public schools to be promoting Christianity or any religion.
DeleteReligious persecution when the schools are teaching things contrary to your beliefs and you HAVE NO CHOICE but to send them anyway or face having your kids taken away or a parent jailed. That's what they were dealing with.
DeleteThere are plenty of Christians schools in Germany where they could have sent their kids, if they were scared of the public schools. Also, they could have just moved to Austria, where they also speak German and where homeschooling is allowed, if it's that important to them. They wouldn't have needed any visa there as German citizens. There was never any need for them to move to the US, which is probably why they can't get asylum any longer.
Delete1:47 - exactly. Because it is not. You can teach your children anything you want all the time they're not in school. Which is the majority of their time. And if there is a law saying that in this country there is compulsory education and you think yourself above that law and disobey - how is that in accordance to the Christian values you warnt tot teach your kids?
DeleteI was a public school student in the 1970s and we had a teacher who would turn off the lights, tell us to meditate and then see people’s auras. That is new age religion and not lawful in schools. We were also told by this teacher that the Christian way of referring to God as Father was wrong and we were instructed to pray during class to “Father-Mother god.” We were told not to tell our parents about this. Though not as extreme, I saw some of these ideas starting to be sown into my child’s mind as early as kindergarten. Some parents I know had their children being forced to engage in Islamic prayers during school. I was not expecting them to be taught Christianity in school, but I also was not expecting them to be indoctrinated into other religions, My children are grown now, but if you look at something other than main stream news, you will find out how the LGBTQ+ ideology is being pushed on the students these days. Explicitly sexual books are being put in school libraries and when parents object and read portions of the books at school board meetings to prove it’s happening, they are told they’re not allowed to read those things there, but it’s okay for the kids to read it? Main stream news will not tell you this.
Delete@12:30 I was in college in the 70's and it was a (wonderfully) weird time. You could come across a teacher like that every now and then, but they knew they were in danger of losing their job if found out. Freshman college English class, we were supposed to all sit in a circle on the floor and keep journals so we could share our feelings. Guess who got reported by her own students the first week of school and guess who had a class full of students sitting at desks by week 3? It was funny to see. As far as the "ideology" you mentioned being "pushed," I find that hard to believe. Being aware about something is not the same as being pushed into it. Kids need to be aware of what the world and the people in it are like. LGBTQ has always existed, both with humans and with animals. Explicit books? I can still blush while reading Song of Solomon in the Bible. You can't keep this stuff a secret. Parents who don't talk to their kids about things like that are the ones whose kids end up lost and confused, spreading misinformation, or feeling tremendous guilt that leads to depression or worse. That's a far bigger deal than little Jimmy seeing a book on his library shelf. This is the Harper Valley PTA all over again.
DeleteI’m not talking about kids being aware of LGBTQ. I’m talking about books with pictures of people doing things I can’t describe here. It would be inappropriate and my comment would not be able to get posted. The pictures accompany explicit descriptions of what the people are doing to each other. I wouldn’t approve of that sort of thing being shown of heterosexuals either. Not suitable for underage students. Sorry you find it hard to believe but do a little digging and you’ll see what I mean.
DeleteI’d like to add to my reply that if it’s just “Jimmy seeing a book on the library shelf,” then why do the school board members tell the parents it’s inappropriate to read the books at the meeting? Obviously, they don’t want to be exposed.
Delete@7:08 Because if YOU read a book privately that YOU got from the library shelf YOURSELF, that's YOUR business. When you stand up at a public meeting and read a book for everyone to hear and you are videotaped doing so and broadcast to the web, then that's everyone's business. YOUR personal rights should not be violated by banning books. YOU should be able to read what YOU want. I thought conservatives were all about having personal freedoms to do what they wanted?
Delete@11:35 I wish I had access to books like that when I was a kid. My mother still hasn't told me where babies come from. She'd be 100 next year had she lived. Too much was kept in the shadows back then. Too many wrong and scary stories went around the playground. Too many unknowing kids were victims of abuse. Access to books and lessons geared to our age level would have helped. We did have one brave teacher in an all-girl junior high class give us a magazine article to read one day. She wasn't allowed to read it to us per school policy but she was so concerned for our safety that she had one of the girls stand up and read it to us. It was about stanger danger, but very confusing without being able to discuss it afterwards with a grown-up. This is the problem with not allowing kids to know facts from good sources. My parents sure weren't going to talk about that at home! Nobody's parents did back then, which is why so much happened to kids. You want things to go back to that way? Kids not allowed to officially know things unless they hear it all garbled up and whispered about on the playground, leaving the kids more confused? I am definitely against any library banning books. It never worked in the past.
DeleteI just saw a clip on one news channel and it is starting to be discussed on others too, that parents are not happy about this explicit book. To be fair, the author has stated that this book is not recommended for children, so why are the schools still putting it in the libraries? C,mon, something is wrong here. Anyway, we could argue forever on this and it’s time to respectfully agree to disagree. The very fact that we can have this conversation here in America and hold our own opinions and decide to homeschool our children with no fear of retribution is the very reason why the Romeike family came here. Our freedom to do this speaks volumes for their case.
Delete@3:14 Perhaps, but we don't have the freedom to break the law by storming libraries and ripping books off shelves because we think they're offensive, OR staying past the time allotted to us by Immigration who has told us it's time to go home.
DeleteYou people have got to be kidding me!! No one with any sense of morality wants their child to have access to a book in school that describes sexual acts and sexual pictures. If a parent wants to teach their older kids about sexual situations then do it in the privacy of their own home, but don't peddle that stuff to our kids. We send our kids to school to learn reading, writing, arithmetic etc., not to learn about sex. School is a learning center paid for by the taxpayers with the promise of teaching our children skills they will need in the workplace, not skills in the bedroom so lay off our children's tender conscience and don't pollute our kids with your deviant agenda. If you are ok your kids learning about alternative lifestyles, then let that mental problem be yours and don't try to make it ours, we don't agree with it and we aren't going to celebrate it with you! Leave our kids alone!!
DeleteAs for the their immigration status, Trace and Lydia just posted a new video the other day and her father talks on it, explaining the situation in more detail and clearing up some misconceptions that people have about it.
DeleteIt’s funny considering my dad’s from Germany. He scared us one time about 6 years ago and forgot to renew this green card. Does this family not all have green cards? I hope they can get this sorted through.
ReplyDeleteRules change just like life. The Government has every right to do this' they make the rules get your green cards and become US citizens. People do it every day' More to the story?
ReplyDeleteYes, I agree. As somebody who’s father’s from Germany and had lived with him for many years, it is important to get green cards if you’re coming from another country if your not planning on becoming a US citizen, and of course renew them on time. 😉. It sounds like somebody at some point must have dropped the ball.
DeleteI understand what you’re saying, but if they came into the country legally I don’t understand why they would force deportation at this point, especially to a new a mom. Maybe offer words of comfort. I really hope they can get a good lawyer.
DeleteI remember on Little People Big World, one of the farm workers that was a right-hand man to Matt Roloff, and worked for him for 15 years or so, was deported back to Mexico. No matter how much the TV show family stood behind him and his wife and children, and financed his fight against deportation, he lost and was deported. The Roloff family was heartbroken to lose him. They are heartless when it comes to how effortlessly they can deport somebody.
ReplyDeleteThat’s so sad. Deport the hard working, law abiding immigrants but let in countless unvetted people.
DeleteYep. Our Country is messed up.
DeleteThis isn't right for her family to be deported like this after 15 years in the United States. It makes no sense because by now,they would be considered citizens of this country by law if you live in the US for 14 years. Plus some of the kids might be taken away and separated from their parents because they were born in this country after they left Germany. Lydia's family needs to fight the system and get support from higher up people in the government from Tennessee and Washington DC to help them avoid deportation. They can't go back to Germany because most of them can't speak the language and the parents will get arrested and put in jail for homeschooling their kids like before.
ReplyDeleteDoesn't matter if you've lived here for 15 years, you still have to jump through the hoops to become a citizen. If this family's sole purpose was to come to the US to homeschool their kids, it stands to reason they would go back eventually. Otherwise, they should've pursued citizenship years ago. There's more to this story, obviously.
DeleteWell they won't be put in jail. It's factually wrong to state that. Also they would be and have been eligible to live in any country within the European Union which covers most of Europe. Several of those countries allow homeschooling. They have never needed to move to the US to homeschool their children they had plenty of other options.
Delete@9:58 That's wrong information. You do not automatically become a US citizen no matter how many years you stay here. You have to apply for and go through the naturalization process.
DeleteWell they won’t have to go to jail if they sent their kids to school. There are Christian schools.. Also why should the kids born in the US be separated from their parents?
Delete@September 19th. I have a parent who’s from Germany and speaking from experience you don’t have to because a US citizen to live in the United States. You just have to make sure you have a green card and renew it on time. 😉 My dad’s lived here for many many years on a green card.
DeleteMost of them don't speak the language?? What an absurd ideal. All but he youngest two were born there and have live there for years!
DeleteI agree with the part of some of the kids not being able to speak German,born here or not. Lydia has admitted she has lost her ability to fully speak in German but a few words because they spoke more English than German,so she's forgotten how to speak it entirely.
DeleteI guess the moral of the story is come to the United States legally! My family did!
ReplyDeleteYes, but also renew your green card on time. Just saying because of experience.
DeleteOur government likes to deport the hard-working Christian families. They'll allow the non-Christian, government-dependant, criminal groups to stay in the US. Our "justice" system is very unfair. Let's hope our 2024 elections can turn this around.
ReplyDeletePlease give examples of non-Christian/government-dependent criminal groups that are allowed to stay in the US.
DeleteYou can't stay in our country if you're breaking immigration rules just because you're Christian or working. You complain about a stereotypical group in one breath and then say another stereotypical group should be allowed to stay. Can't have it both ways.
DeleteDo you really have a problem with atheists and people who practice religions other than Christianity coming to the U.S.?! I hope not, because that goes against everything this country is supposed to stand for.
DeleteI don’t think being Christian is a requirement to become a citizen in the US.
DeleteLydia's family were allowed to come here and stay under certain circumstances (homeschool their children). Now it's time for them to go home to Germany. They need to follow the rules they were admitted to the US under.
DeleteWe have plenty of illegal aliens from all religions. Gangs are all over the country. This hard-working Christian family came to the US to work and contribute to our society. Try deporting a Muslim family and see what happens. Answer: it doesn't happen.
Delete3:38 Provide evidence to prove your claim that Muslims are never deported.
DeleteMuslim and non-Christian families are deported from the US all the time. I don’t know what you are talking about.
DeleteAmen 8:41. I'm so tired of people claiming this is a "Christian" country "because it says so on our money and in the Pledge of Allegiance." Or, "Our founding fathers were Christian so this is a Christian country." Not so. Circumstantial "evidence" at best. We have no established state religion and never will.
Delete@10:35 Read the founding father's words as to the purpose for establishing this country. It was for the purpose of religious freedom. Not a government decided religion, individual choice of religion. The sheer number of available documents confirming this is far from circumstantial evidence. We do have no established government religion; however, they wrote that we needed to be a Christian nation in order to hold onto this nation. We can see today how right they were. Trying to change us from a Christian nation is destroying us.
Delete@10:53 It only sounds Christian because that's who came here and wrote documents, for their own reasons. However, they took the country from non-Christians who were here first. They also forgot about the fact that a lot of the world who might also come here was not and never would be Christian. While the freedom part would apply, the idea of being a Christian nation would not apply, has not applied, is not applicable, and never can be.
DeleteThey came to the US to homeschool their kids claiming religious persecution, they could have gone to any number of other european countries including Austria to homeschool but chose the US. They were only permitted to stay until the german born kids were eighteen which they now are, so time to go home, they need to abide by the same rules as everyone else.
ReplyDeleteApparently, there aren't any rules now. Illegal aliens are pouring across our borders. No end in sight.
Delete@19.9.2023, 11:20 am. I agree to that. They were also NOT persecuted, they broke the law, for which they were rightfully punished. If they break the law in the US, they get punished.
DeleteFrom the outside this seems sudden, but since govenment is slow the World over, they will have had ample warning and probably just ignored it.
As for Lydia, who is not of school age and a nursing mother, I suppose, she might have a Chance to stay or stay longer at least, until the child is weaned? Maybe they should not have asked for asylum, for such a reason, but for Immigration outright. Or just simply gone to another european country, that allows homeschooling. They wanted fundamentalist paradise, but as they should know, if you don't follow the rules in paradise, you get kicked out. Ask Adam and Eve...
Exactly. They have worn out their welcome.
DeleteSending prayers for a peaceful solution and that they get to stay. Governments in many countries have the most backwards way of doing things. 😕
ReplyDeleteThis family came here illegally. The USA has allowed them to stay for this long because kids were in school. Germany is a very well developed country, much better than the USA on many things. They do not allowed homeschooling so that every kid has the same opportunities in the future and their education is not left to your family (who may or may have no training in basic knowledge and more advanced knowledge you need later on at the university level). It's a matter of rights, and Germany put those rights on the kids. That is really not a reason to look for asylum. There are many people looking for true asylum that are denied access. It's not like they are going to have a bad life if they go to Germany. Free healthcare, free college... good quality life overall. I mean, let's put this in perspective. You can just live above the law.
ReplyDeleteNever mind since they're Eu citizens they could go to another EU country legally that has home schooling
DeleteGermany also requires students to learn about their country's abhorrent history with Nazism and the Holocaust. They don't want to take any chances with it ever being repeated.
DeleteI don't remember details because it was a long time ago, but I do remember reading about just how difficult it was for them in Germany. There was a lot to it, and people reacting negatively here don't necessarily know all that history.
Delete@9:10 It doesn't matter how "hard" it was in Germany. If their stay here has expired and they're not citizens here, that's it. Their hardship was they couldn't take their children out of the same schooling every other parent and child in Germany is fine with. That's hardly "persecution." Sounds like they want to make their own rules no matter where they are.
Delete1:45, their stay didn't "expire." They were suddenly told a few weeks ago at a routine check-in that they had 4 weeks to get passports and get out. No warning or real explanation.
DeleteThey didn't come here "illegally." You didn't read the news article, did you?
Delete@1:19 If you've been told to go home, then your stay here HAS expired! A month's notice is a nice gesture on the part of the US. I hope the US sticks to that decision.
DeleteI do feel sorry for them and this situation that they currently face. I do question as to why after residing in the U.S. for so long why they have not tried to obtain citizenship here. Where do the parents work if they are not citizens? Where do they obtain an income and how do they provide for their family? As Christians, shouldn't they set a good example and take the honest and moral steps to become citizens and not be like those of the world who just hide and ride on the skirt tails of others? I do not know the entire situation (nor did I have the opportunity to watch the video), but I am curious as to why efforts were not made prior to this deadline of deportation. Praying for this situation.
ReplyDeleteDid you read the linked news article? They were given permission stay "indefinitely." No deadline.
Delete1:23 Indefinitely does not necessarily mean a forever stay. Someone can decide to change it and INS has the authority to do that.
DeleteTrace,Lydia and the Romeikes are in our prayers and thoughts. Marilyn,Joan and Marion
ReplyDeleteComing to the US to seek asylum for religious reasons does not mean you will gain citizenship. There are thousands of hard workers here who are seeking asylum because they were forced to flee dangerous situations to save their lives. My heart goes out to them, not the “family who wanted to homeschool”.
ReplyDeleteExactly. This family came here on some sort of waiver which has now expired. If they want to stay here, they need to apply through the proper channels and see what happens.
DeleteI REALLY HOPE U WILL BE OK,!!!! U SHOULD WATCH THE MOVIE 'GREEN CARD', LOL OF WHAT NOT TO DO!!! I CAN'T UNDERSTAND, U OBVIOUSLY MARRIED, U HAVE THOUSANDS THAT SAW IT, AND NOW THERE IS THE CHILD TOO, !!! HE IS SUPER CUTE !!! I AM 1/2 ,GERMAN DAD IS FROM WOLFBURG GETMANY, AND MY MOTHERS EYSHAM ENGLAD!!!!! FIRST GENERATION CANADIAN!!!! PROUD TOO!!!! JUSTINE
ReplyDeleteJustine, Please think before you type! These comments are so cringe especially in capital letters.
DeleteI think there is more to this story than this article stated. I think some major details were left out.
ReplyDeleteYeah. Like the rules the family agreed to when they came here in the first place.
DeleteThey won’t get deported. They obey the laws.
ReplyDeleteDo they pay taxes like us??? Is that obey the law?
DeleteThey don't need to be deported, they can go back to Germany like they agreed to do when they came here to homeschool their children.
ReplyDeleteIt's not "unfair". It is the law. This is why voting matters. And, it is so very important to fully understand what you are voting for as well.
ReplyDeleteThis family needs to stop playing the victim of the government. They came here with the express purpose of homeschooling the children. Now that all the children are over 18 they no longer have any legitimate purpose to be in the US. If they want to be permanent US residents or US citizens, then they need to go back to Germany and go through the normal immigration process. They are NOT being persecuted.
ReplyDeleteThey still have TWO that are NOT adults.
DeleteYes, but those were born in the states. The ruling Was based on the living kids they braucht with them.
Delete6:26 The youngest two under 18 were born in the US, after they first came here to homeschool. It could very well be that the permission granted to stay here only included the children they had at the time, not any future children.
DeleteThe family had two children knowing their precarious immigration status, that is unfair on the children but is a situation their parents have placed them in. Having two children who are US citizens does not give the rest the right to stay. The two who are US citizens can return legally when they are adults.
DeleteIf they were here that long and did nothing about becoming citizens in all that time, then they should be deported. It has nothing to do with any other border situation.
ReplyDeleteHow much have they cost the US in terms of legal cases and hearings? They need to either become citizens or leave. They can't make special rules just for themselves.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't want to follow the rules in Germany and now they don't want to follow them here. They never intended to become US citizens, just stay for some indefinite time. They made the US spend taxpayer dollars with court and immigration hearings. Aren't the kids grown by now? So why the need for "homeschool asylum"? If they never became citizens, there's no reason why they should be allowed to stay. I'd rather pray for people really in need and in danger. Trace can go to Germany with them and then see what immigration rules really mean.
ReplyDeleteYes. My son's girlfriend is from Sweden. When she immigarted here, she had o problem applying for and gettering her Green Card. Why didn't this family do the same thing if they wanted to stay here permanently? They spend a lot of time complaining about stuff and seem to do nothing to remedy the problems they claim they face.
DeleteStill have two in school that were born in the US.
DeleteYou need to pray for everyone no matter the circumstances if you are really a Christian and can pray!
DeleteNot all the children are over 18.
ReplyDeleteSo what? They had a prescribed period of time here. It's up. They need to return to Germany.
DeleteThe youngest two under 18 were born in the US after they came here to homeschool. It could very well be that the permission granting them to stay only included the children they had at the time, not any future children. The youngest child they have that was born in Germany just turned 18, so that may be way they're being deported.
DeleteThis family has been here for 15 years and did nothing to obtain permanent residency here. Now their waiver has expired they want divine intervention to stay. Amazing.
ReplyDeleteThe family wants divine intervention to stay here? Why? They could have applied for permanent status any time they wanted to during the past 15 years.
ReplyDeleteIt's not that simple. Since they were here seeking asylum, the case has to be reopened; This has been requested, but hasn't happened yet.
DeleteHomeschooling is accepted in the US, but oversight is minimal, at best. Some states require no testing, coursework, or record keeping from homeschooling families and the parents decide when their child has finished high school. So, it's anyone's guess how educationally prepared a child may be. I have no problem with it if parents choose to teach their kids at home, but I do think they should be held accountable for giving their kids at least a basic education where they can show competency in core subjects areas. Regarding Lydia's family, I have a hunch there's more to the story and some unanswered questions.
ReplyDeleteExcellent comment!
DeleteWell said. Some countries like Germany don't allow homeschooling because of the mixed outcomes. Some parents do an excellent job and their kids get a good education. Others do a poor job and the kids get a minimal education. German values education and wants more oversight than would be possible with homeschooling.
DeleteThis is just ridiculous! It is pure politics. Here we have a God-fearing, law-abiding family, and they want to deport them? And take a wife and new mother from her husband?? Please think about who you vote for in the next election!
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, 10:31pm.
DeleteBut are they law abiding if they do, what they can to stay in asylum, even though the reason for it is no longer existent? I cannot call that lawabiding. Rather lawavoiding.
DeleteThey knew about their Status and should perhaps not let their children marry in the states.
Don't know, if the Bates's knew.
What's ridiculous is them coming to the US in the first place. Could have just moved to Austria and homeschooled there without any problems. They made up their own problems.
DeleteI hope you feel the same way for all the law abiding christian immigrants that live in the USA.
DeleteIt's pretty obvious what happened. This family was unhappy in Germany because they were allowed to homeschool the children. Instead of applying to immigrate, they just came here and asked for religious asylum to homeschool. They were allowed to stay while they made their case for asylum in immigration court. After 15 years of hearings and appeals, the children grew up and their reason for asylum no longer existed so they've been told to go home. They took a short cut and it didn't work out for them and they have no one to blame but themselves for the current situation. If they want to live here permanently they need to go back to Germany and apply to immigrate here.
ReplyDeleteYou're correct - they need to go back to their home country and apply to the US! That's exactly what our friend had to do. He moved to the US when he married a US citizen, but he got sent back to his home country to apply the proper way. Eight months and $8,000 later, he was allowed to legally return.
DeleteI understand they have put out a "petition" for people to sign to keep the family in this country. This is laughable IMO because petitions do not dictate the immigration laws of this country. The family was negligent in their paperwork and status in the US. Sadly, now it has come back to bite them. Homeschooling their children, IMO, is not a reason for asylum. One can always teach their children what the family's beliefs are when the kids come from from school. I attended a public school with all types of children from various cultures and religious beliefs OR no relgious beliefs. My mother explained to me what it is that our family believed and why we did. They could have done the same thing in Germany. Trace needs to get his wife a real, good immigration attorney, not a petition. I hope for the best for them as I think Trace is a nice young man but way too young and inexperienced to have married anyone...his wife also.
ReplyDelete@4:50 I agree with you. I had the same experience in public school, being with kids of every faith and background. On the playground or in the classroom, none of that mattered to us kids. Who could throw the ball the best in Dodgeball or who could climb the highest on the monkey bars was what was important. I started going to school before there were rules in place to try to keep religion out of schools so one group would not be favored over another. I remember when that rule came in and the morning Bible reading disappeared. We kids were fine either way. We all went home on weekends and attended whatever church or synagogue our parents did, then back to the classroom on Monday for absolutely nothing awful that the public schools taught us. Reading, writing, and arithmetic, no agenda, religious or not, that made our parents pull us out. Same experiences with my own kids and public school. Some people these days are too high up on their high horses and too quick to cry "persecution." That doesn't get you out of following laws.
DeleteIt’s good that you two had great experiences in public school, but not everyone does. Some schools are pushing agendas much more than others. We need to respect other people’s experiences and not judge without knowing all the facts.
DeleteSo true, 10:29am....our friends would tell us that their bar/bat mitzvah was coming up; we'd say, "great...now let's play kick ball". They said the same about our communion. It just wasn't a big deal to us...we all played together.
DeleteI agree with you. Public schools are just that--places to learn the basics. Not indoctrination centers. It was the same way for me growing up, too. we went to school and then went home and learned our respective religions.
Delete@3:17 We did that too! It was so cool to be invited to a bar/bat mitzvah and get to see another religion's amazing rites. Girls showed off their first communion dresses and veils and we thought they were so pretty. Kids told of immersion baptisms. Some kids weren't around on Wednesday nights. Others ate no meat on Fridays. Some were busy Saturdays but free on Sundays. None of us kids made a big deal of it! If anyone did, it was parents at home saying something derogatory about another family. Funny how we kids knew that was wrong without having to be told. We knew kids were all friends and equals on the playground. The teachers didn't show favoritism or prejudice, they taught the basics of education period. We were in high school when 18 year olds were given the right to vote. Even that didn't start any political agenda in the schools. We talked about upcoming elections and election rules, but no agenda. I really think it's parents who can't control themselves when it comes to these things, not the kids.
DeleteThis doesn’t help Lydia’s family, but if Trace went into the military she could stay. Costa Rica is also an option. This is sadly a religious issue. They are being deported bc our government would be happy to be rid of all churches and Christians. It’s sad that a family who has raised their kids here has to leave. I hope and pray they stay.
ReplyDeleteWhat evidence do you have to support our claim that the government is trying to get rid of all churches and Christians?
DeleteI agree with you.
DeleteDo you feel the same way about the people from Venzuela that are coming here seeking asylum? Shall we pray that they too get to stay? They are Christians too.
DeleteSending home a german family is hardly an attempt to get rid of churches and/or christians. It is following through with what they were toll, when the asylum was granted. They chose to do nothing about their Status in the ensuing 15 years or if they did, they were surprisingly silent about it. If the Bates family did not know about it, the Romeikes should have told them. Obviously, as we see now, marrying an American, when you are in asylum, does not mean, you can stay.
Delete@10:05 Sure, Trace could join the Army. Then he could get stationed in Germany and they would both end up there anyway. Sweet irony.
DeleteTrace better start learning some German!
ReplyDeleteNo problem. Germans speak English better than we do.
DeleteMaybe that is because we all have to go to school
DeleteI wonder if they're required to go back to Germany because the youngest of their children born in Germany is now 18. Their original request for homeschooling asylum obviously wouldn't have included the two younger kids born in the US. Did they intend to eventually go back to Germany, or have they been working towards US citizenship the past 15 years?
ReplyDeleteThey weren't given a reason why other than that "orders have changed." This was out of the blue, and they were told they only have 4 weeks to get a passport.
Delete2:14 'Indefinite stay' simply means an unknown or unstated length of time. It doesn't guarantee a permanent status, but is subject to a "change in orders" at any time. I good immigration attorney would have explained this to them long ago.
DeleteLet Trace go live in Germany.
ReplyDeleteThey were granted indefinite deferred action status 10 years ago. Then a few weeks ago they were suddenly, with no warning or explanation other than "a change in orders," were told they had 4 weeks to get passports and then would be deported. This wasn't something they knew would happen or could plan for. I really don't get the vitriol or lack of compassion I'm seeing in these comments.
ReplyDeleteIndefinite simply means an unknown or unstated length of time. It doesn't guarantee a permanent status, but is subject to a "change in orders" at any time. I good immigration attorney would have explained this to them long ago.
DeleteIf they have to scramble to get German passports in four weeks that is their own fault, not the government. As non-US, still German citizens they should have been up to date with their Passports. I cannot imagine as a new mother what Lydia must be going through and I do have compassion for that. However, they should have made legal arrangements to stay in the country prior to their yearly “check-in date” as well as perhaps before having a baby. I speak from experience as an immigrant myself.
DeleteOh please. If you're in the military, you could be called to go anywhere at any time, and you do it no questions asked, no whining, no begging to stay. The military doesn't care about newborns either. My son was 3 hours (yes, HOURS) old when my husband had to leave for 4 months, with no communication during that time. So it's certainly no hardship to be sent back as a family to your home country where you were only imagining you were being persecuted because your children were receiving the same education all the other German kids get. I really don't think that qualifies as a complaint. Tell the kids to go to school and forget everything they heard. Most kids do that anyway.
Delete@6:50 The military doesn't even give you 4 weeks' notice sometimes the way these people are getting! You can get a call from your command and you're out the door within hours. The military men and women do it, no matter what their family situation.
DeleteReally don’t think they will have reason to fear for their life if they go back to Germany.
ReplyDeleteNo, they fear having their younger children taken away or having parents jailed.
DeleteExactly. Those are real possibilities. Praying for them. 🙏
DeleteAnon 1:16. Nonsense. Germany is a modern country. As long as the parents don't engage in illegal activities, they have no reason to fear being jailed or having their minor children taken away.
DeleteI live în a country right near Germany. So I have friends who live there as well as friends who have acquaintances there. And I've been there multiple times. To say it's a modern country is correct but to say the CPS is civilized would be a stretch. It's the same system that runs through Finland, Norway, Switzerland, and the likes. And everywhere there's tales of its gross injustices done where there can be no possible call for it. To families who's only crime was choosing different ways of raising there children than what the system preferred. (In one case it was not letting the kids have TV and social media for which they were taken away). The directors of this system use completely subjective reasoning, and seem to be above the law, or on the same level at least. In these cases for CPS, law does not apply. The parents of the kids taken away are persecuted and dehumanized by the CPS workers and law forces. Homeschooling is considered a crime too. And yet the schools in Germany are a far cry from how school should be. I'm not sure how well worded and explained this is, I wrote in a hurry and very agitated, but I hope this conveys my deep frustration and concern as well as understanding and empathy for this family's situation.
DeleteIf the schools in Germany are "a far cry from how schools should be," then the solution is not to take your kids to the US. The solution is to stay there and work with other parents and the government to make positive changes. These people took the easy way out thinking they could hop on over to the US and stay as long as they wanted, claiming persecution. Well that plan has come to an end and they need to face it.
DeleteStudents in Germany can take part in a vocation program at 15.
ReplyDeleteThe two youngest children are under 15. They’re 10 and 12 I think.
Delete😀😀😀🇩🇪🇩🇪🇩🇪
ReplyDeleteGermany is hardly worth all this drama.
ReplyDeleteSo, I read some german Articles about the time, they left Germany. They had Tagen their children out of school, they were finde for that, but kept them home still. So the police took the kids to school. They still fought it, so the Youthdepartment (Jugendamt), threatened to take the kids away, because by not sending the kids to school, them comitted childabuse of some Form.
ReplyDeleteAt no time was any decision of the officials Based on the parents ' Religion. They took away the childrens right to education, as it is written in the german youth-protection-laws.
Yes, they forbid them to homeschool, but because of the german laws.
A Professor of mine once toll as about another strict Religious group, who were not allowed to homeschool or school only what they deemed neccessary. Their kids go to publik school, but after school they are taucht, what they believe to be right. The Romeikes could have done that as well.
Something else: he is a pianoteacher, she a stay at home mom: cañ they live off only his earnings? I do not think, that pianoteachers earn a lot I also do not know, wetter in the US he May workk in asylum-status .
An way, lawbreakers in germany? But I do not know, if the two youngest could be Tagen away, when they go back, since they are us-citizens.