In response to feigned surprise over administration actions that result in human suffering and death, critics of the Trump administration have been inclined to respond, “cruelty is the point.” In other words, policy decisions are not made despite consequences for vulnerable people; they are made with the intent to inflict hardship so as to serve administration objectives (e.g., deporting “dreamers” to fend off future illegal immigration). Nowhere is this more evident than in the immoral and un-American child separation policy.

Since 2001, the share of Americans who favor increased legal immigration into the U.S. has risen 22 percentage points (from 10% to 32%), while the share who support a decrease has declined 29 points (from 53% to 24%).