A judge in Tennessee has granted asylum to a German family that came to the United States in order to homeschool their children.

In his decision, Lawrence O. Burman, a federal immigration judge, said that the family in question would face persecution were they to return to their home country—not only because of their religion, but also because they are “members of a particular social group” of parents who homeschool their children.

Uwe and Hannelore Romeike were fined a total of $11,000, threatened with losing custody of their children, and even visited by police, who took the children to school. This was before they sold their belongings and emigrated to the United States with their three children, who range in age from two to 12.