The United States is a nation of immigrants, and a nation that exploits immigrants. It’s been a tangled partnership in which both sides benefit, if unevenly, given the power employers have over their most vulnerable workers.

Millions have gained citizenship and productive lives while the economy has thrived. Agriculture could not exist without an immigrant work force, while the list of immigrant-dependent industries has grown to include meatpacking, construction, hospitality and recreational sectors such as ski resorts — as well as golf courses owned by the president.

Meanwhile, as immigrants provide essential labor, helping businesses profit, the Trump administration has targeted those in some of the most onerous jobs in order to stir fear and hate, while exacting nothing from the employers.

The administration’s latest efforts to punish immigrants, for instance, is not just cruel, but foolish. Its new “public charge” rule would deny legal immigrants permanent residency if they apply for food stamps, Medicaid or government-subsidized housing. Millions of legal immigrants will probably avoid seeking health care for their children and other services, so as to avoid scrutiny.