America’s latest immigration push isn’t just cruel, it’s bad economics. Separating children from parents illegally entering the country is immoral – and expensive. Detention costs could hit up to $100 million for just one month, eating into a $3.2 billion deportation budget. And that’s before calculating the longer-term impact a reduction in immigration will have on the economy. President Donald Trump recently toughened his already hardline immigration approach because of a jump in illegal entrants. Most of them are fleeing violence in Central America. In March 2018, there was a 203 percent increase in illegal border crossing compared to the