Archbishop Fulton Sheen warned decades ago that misplaced compassion fuels crime, a prophecy that matches today’s headlines.
Sheen’s 60‑Year Warning on False Compassion Resurfaces
“False compassion … is shown not to the mugged, but to the mugger; not to the family of the murdered, but to the murderer; not to the woman who was raped, but to the rapist. Not to the poor girl who’s given a shot of dope, but to the rich boy who happens to come from a fine family,” Sheen said.
He added that judges, social workers and “sob sisters” often prioritize criminals over victims, naming rapists, drug users and prostitutes as beneficiaries of this distorted mercy.
On October 27, 2026, 60 Minutes contributor Gianna Toboni pressed James Percival, General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, on the role of compassion in immigration enforcement.
Percival responded that his compassion lies with American victims, insisting that justice sometimes requires unpleasant actions to protect the public.
“The people I have the most compassion for are the American victims we’re protecting,” Percival told Toboni, noting that strong leaders must enforce the law even when it is unpopular.
Rule of Law Demands Consequences for Illegal Immigration
Illegal entrants, even those without additional crimes, constitute criminals under the law, Percival argued, because they broke immigration statutes deliberately.
He warned that families separated by deportation are a direct result of those choices, and that the resulting harm extends to U.S. citizens, including children of undocumented migrants.
Percival highlighted that many illegal aliens use fraudulent documents to secure employment, evade taxes and claim welfare benefits, draining resources from law‑abiding citizens.
He emphasized that victims — not perpetrators — bear the true cost, citing the murder of Virginia mother Stephanie Minter by Abdul Jalloh, a case that galvanized Angel Families.
“Why do leftists claim compassion for criminals while ignoring the families forever broken by illegal acts?” Percival asked, underscoring an inverse relationship between compassion and victim innocence.
Justice, he concluded, is the foundation of genuine compassion; enforcing the law protects the innocent and restores moral balance.
