A Mother’s Cry for Immigration Reform My name is Debra Laub and I am Rachel Custodio’s mother. We are When we would go to see him for one hour every Sunday, I cried with a Jewish family from Lynn. For many years, we were members of my daughter after every visit because the place was so despicable. To Temple Beth El in Swampscott. Rachel attended the Hebrew school, this day, I cry when I think about what we all went through. Conditions graduated Summa Cum Laude from Salem State. were so bad that he opted to be deported. He left in September, 2010. In 2007, she fell in love with a wonderful man named Paulo. My Shortly after that, Rachel made the heart-wrenching decision to leave husband and I took an instant liking to him. We could see how much her life here and moved to Brazil to be with her husband. It broke our he really cared about our daughter. In April 2009, six months after hearts. She is our only child, but we understood. Why should she have my cancer operation, Rachel and Paulo had a small intimate wedding to make this choice? She’s an American citizen. The scales of justice in our home. It was beautiful. Paulo came from Brazil and he was are not balanced in this country! undocumented, so as they were We sought the help of mainstream now married, they decided to media, but it seemed like they correct his status. In 2010, they didn’t want to get involved with prepared to go to Brazil for a year immigration issues. That’s why and a half to wait out the immiwe sought the help of Shirley gration process. They were given Farber, the publisher of Shalom an interview at the JFK building and Bate Papo Magazine. Shirley in Boston, which was to start the understands our predicament. She legalization process. immediately got us an interview Paulo was approved, but their on her Bate Papo com Shirley happiness was short-lived. Imtelevision program, that is seen migration and Customs Enforall over Massachusetts and in four cement (ICE) was waiting in the other neighboring states, through foyer for our son-in-law. I will local stations or Comcast On never forget the fear in Rachel’s Demand. She also published an voice that day. As her mother, I article on my Rachel’s story in couldn’t feel worse than I did at her Brazilian Bate Papo Magazine Shirley Farber, Rachel Custodio and Debra and Milton Laub that moment. They were married and connected my daughter with a for a little over a year, and no one retired US Ambassador in Brazil should see their husband taken who is also an attorney. away in handcuffs. While Rachel and Paulo were in Brazil, their lawyers were trying Paulo was detained for four and a half months, which seemed like vigorously to get their case moving again, but immigration would not an eternity. At that time I was walking with a cane, because I needed accept the waiver package that they offered. I find it very disheartening, double knee replacement. When we would visit Paulo in prison they because I am ill. I have a genetic disorder which predisposes me to would take my cane away; they would make us empty our pockets, developing cancer. I lost two siblings to this disorder. Also, my husband and then walk through a scanner. One day while walking through, I had recent surgery, and there are only the two of us. I can’t believe our lost my balance. The guards in that horrid place didn’t seem to care. own government could treat our families so terribly, especially when immigrants already here are, by comparison, treated so graciously. My husband and I are in our older years and to imagine not seeing our family for 10 years is unthinkable to us. When we go to Temple, we miss our daughter. There are so many memories, because she put her heart into everything. We still pray for a good year, but yet we don’t know what lies ahead for us. All I know is that we have all suffered enough! We brought our daughter up with love, faith, hope and to never give up. Three years later, we’re still holding to that. Debra Laub
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Winter 2013