RESPONSE To: Robin Kostrikin,
Thank you for your thoughtful and compassionate letter. I wholeheartedly agree with your central message that “every victim deserves compassion, regardless of who committed the crime. Every family deserves to know that their loved one’s life matters and that their suffering has not been ignored.” On that point, I suspect our community is united.
You ask why we aren’t talking more about victims of crimes committed by people who are in this country illegally. We certainly should acknowledge every victim and support every family whose life has been shattered by violence. Their pain deserves our attention, our compassion, and our pursuit of justice.
At the same time, I think it’s important to avoid drawing conclusions that aren’t supported by the broader evidence. Decades of research—including studies from Stanford University and analyses using FBI crime data and U.S. Census information—have consistently found that immigrants, including undocumented immigrants, are significantly less likely to commit violent crimes than native-born U.S. citizens. During the period from 1980 to 2022, the immigrant share of the U.S. population more than doubled while the nation’s overall crime rate declined dramatically. Other studies have found that undocumented immigrants are substantially less likely to be arrested or convicted of violent crimes than U.S.-born citizens.
The recent demonstrations many of us have participated in are not because we value victims of crime any less. They are rooted in concerns about due process, constitutional protections, family separation, and ensuring that government exercises its authority fairly and transparently. Those concerns can exist alongside an unwavering commitment to justice for victims of violent crime.
Justice is not a limited resource. We do not have to choose between supporting victims of violent crime and defending constitutional rights. We can do both. Likewise, compassion is not diminished by being shared. We can mourn every innocent life lost to violence while also recognizing that millions of immigrants contribute to our communities, raise families, obey our laws, pay taxes and simply want the same things most Americans want: safety, opportunity, and hope.
Perhaps the real question isn’t, “Which victims deserve our compassion?” Rather, it is, “Can we build a community where compassion is never rationed, justice is applied equally, and every person’s dignity is respected?”
I believe the answer is yes. And I believe that’s a goal worth pursuing together.
Michael J. Strayer
