The U.S. Supreme Court will meet on Friday to decide which cases it will hear.  Their decisions will be made public on Monday, February 24.

One case under appeal is Romeike v. Holder.  This case pits a German family who fled their native land for asylum in the United States.  Why did Germany torment this family?  They are Christians who homeschool their children.   Under a 1938 Nazi law homeschooling is illegal in Germany because it interferes with the state’s interest in its children.

In 2010 an immigration judge granted asylum to the family, but a short time later ICE appealed that decision.  Attorney General Eric Holder and the Obama Justice Department claim there was not persecution worthy of asylum and are seeking to deport the family to Germany where the legal authorities stand ready to restrict the family’s religious freedom and parental rights.

Earlier this year DOJ claimed SCOTUS should not get involved because, “the German government’s desire to promote socialization, pluralism, tolerance and democracy outweighs the human right of parents to decide how their children are educated.”  This should concern all Americans as it articulates a position contrary to U.S. law and signals concern for the future of non-public education in the United States.