Bishop Minerva Carcaño

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The bishop of Arizona's United Methodists has made several trips to the U.S.-Mexican border in the past year and plans to promote immigration reform at her denomination's General Conference, which meets in Texas this spring.

Bishop Minerva Carcaño blames a history of regional economic disparity and unfair trade agreements for the border plight she's observed.

She is involved with the Tucson-based Humane Borders group, which provides water to illegal entrants. In 2006 her denomination gave $80,000 to the group.

The Rev. Robin Hoover, leader of Humane Borders, says United Methodists are the single largest group of faith donors to his non-profit organization, which typically spends $180,000 per year operating water stations along the Southern Arizona border with Mexico.

The United Methodist Church's international General Board of Global Ministries views the border as an area of human disaster, Carcaño said.

"That board deals with catastrophes like Katrina and every major natural disaster. When they looked at the border they felt it was comparable," said Carcaño, who is the first Hispanic clergywoman ever elected as a bishop of the United Methodist Church.

Carcaño, who is based in Phoenix, is bishop of the United Methodists' Desert Southwest area, which includes Arizona and southern Nevada. She is also official spokeswoman for the United Methodists' Council of Bishops on the issue of immigration.

Her father came to America during the 1940s as an agricultural worker in southern Texas through the binational Bracero program, which allowed Mexicans to work legally here during and after World War II. She acknowledges that her roots influence her involvement in the immigration issue but says the greatest reason is her Christian faith.

The Arizona Daily Star asked Carcaño five questions about the border:

Q: Are you sending out a letter or statement to Arizona congregants, or to the denomination as a whole, about the border crisis?

A: "After my most recent trip to the border I have decided to call United Methodist women to meet with me to talk about supporting women and children affected by the situation on the border. I've already called Gov. Janet Napolitano's office to talk with her about the issue of repatriation of women and children during the night, a time when women and children are more susceptible to abuse and violence. I have received word that I will be invited for a conversation about how to address this very serious concern. I understand that repatriation (deportation back to Mexico) is a necessary part of the legal immigration process, but it can be done in a more humane way."

A: "We need to continue working toward comprehensive immigration reform and while we wait for reform we need to be involved on the ground with compassionate care towards all the communities affected by the situation. I also encourage United Methodists to go out on the border to learn more about the situation and serve our immigrant brothers and sisters. As United Methodists we have declared that we believe that God calls us to love the immigrant."

A: "Yes, I hear dissent all the time, usually in the form of people believing that providing compassionate care just promotes breaking the law. I beg to differ. I think as Christian people we are morally called to care for those suffering and dying in the desert. We are called to be a moral voice, not a partisan one."

A: "Our General Conference will be held on April 23 to May 2. There will be several resolutions coming. Two major ones will address global migration and U.S. domestic immigration policy, including a call for comprehensive immigration reform. … A group of young adult leaders will be putting up a symbolic water tank and encouraging delegates and observers to contribute to purchasing more water tanks for our Arizona border. An immigration prayer vigil and a press conference on sanctuary are also planned."

A: "I believe it is basically an economic and political crisis that must be dealt with through a collaborative regional strategy between the U.S. and Mexico. While the present immigration situation is also affected by immigrants from all over the world, the greatest challenge is in addressing the immigration from Mexico. We must acknowledge our U.S. dependency on immigrant labor as well as the negative impact that U.S.-promoted free-trade agreements have had on southern nations. U.S. comprehensive immigration reform must be the starting point."