That is almost always how these things happen. There is a policy. It collides with the real world. Someone "solves" it. People find out and there is outrage.

Usually that means it changes through political decision. I don't know what happened in this particular case since I don't keep enough track of US politics.

I think you're right.

FWIW, somehow I find that sort of accidental evil even worse than a mustache-twirling villain, you know?

Like, somebody had to put that first kid in a cage and lock it. That can't have felt good. What was it that prevented that person from saying on that day, "You know what, fuck this, we're not doing this."?