RANDY METCALF/Arizona Daily Wildcat Tucsonan Lupe Donigus reads names on the 90 crosses that represent the amount of people who have died from crossing the Mexican border in the past year. The display of clothes, water jugs and personal items left behind by the immigrants is located at First Christian Church at 740 E. Speedway Blvd.

In 2001, there were 101 immigrant deaths along the U.S. and Mexico border.

Living in the Southwest, we've all heard tragic reports like these.

Desperate to find better employment opportunities, migrants are continually losing their lives by crossing the desolate and unforgiving terrain of the border region. In recent years, the number of deaths has doubled.

Remember the 14 who died last May? They were the largest number of migrants ever found dead at one time. As the border patrol increases its numbers, immigrants are forced to take more extreme measures when entering this country.

Maeve Hickey wants people to remember and understand the hardships of immigration. Already an internationally recognized photographer, artist and author, Hickey has formed an exhibit that illustrates the many adversities facing immigrants.

The exhibit, titled "Lost and Found: Remnants of a Desert Passage," is a collection of relics and evidence left behind by these perilous travelers. It's located in the courtyard of the nearby First Christian Church, 740 E. Speedway Blvd., and will be on display through March 8, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Clothes, bottles, a baby stroller, a bike, toys, shoes - at first glance, the exhibit appears to be the remains of a 10-cent garage sale. However, Hickey contends, the presence of these items is actually an very important testimony to the strength of the human spirit.

Surrounding this hodgepodge of objects is a multitude of white crosses with the names of deceased border-crossers written on them. They offer a chilling reality.

"I want people to get a sense that humans have passed through the desert, having a very difficult journey," Hickey said.

A native of Ireland, Hickey has long been interested in the many problems and issues that surround immigration.

"Immigration is really a very controversial issue worldwide," Hickey said.

Having spent numerous years along the Mexican border, Hickey has created two books of photography exploring immigration. She began collecting the exhibit's pieces last October and arranged them in January.

One of the most meaningful pieces Hickey found was a single baby's shoe.

"The baby shoe speaks to certain human sentiments and evokes certain thoughts," Hickey said. "Just knowing that an infant was part of the desert journey; that's very poignant to me."

Michelle Fitzgerald, a liberal arts junior, said she too understands the importance of the exhibit.

"It puts a very personal touch on something so unfamiliar to people," she said. "If they go with an open mind, they will see the border issues in a totally different light."

Humane Borders, a faith-based coalition made up of humanitarian organizations and legal rights groups, presents this exhibit to commemorate the one-year anniversary of its water deployment plan.

Although the organization's primary goal is to save immigrant lives by providing water in U.S.-Mexico border regions, it also wishes to create awareness of the immigration crisis and thereby promote change in border policies.

The first water tank was placed in Organ Pipe National Monument on March 7 of last year.

Sarah Roberts, one of the organization's volunteers, has witnessed the success of Humane Borders over the last year.

"It has been extremely well accepted," Roberts said. "People see and hear about all of the tragic deaths that have happened and are glad that we're doing this."

Hickey said she believes that the exhibit will provoke thought and discussion, crossing the borders of our own experience.

"As a friend of mine once said, we are all immigrants in some way or another," she added.

For more information about the exhibit or Humane Borders, call 628-7753.