Jill Filipovic is a journalist based in New York and Nairobi, Kenya, and the author of the book "The H-Spot: The Feminist Pursuit of Happiness." Follow her on Twitter. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) "Tell people not to come to our country illegally," was President Donald Trump's comment to reporters as he boarded a plane to Europe on Tuesday. "That's the solution. Don't come to our country illegally. Come like other people do. Come legally."

Jill Filipovic

What was he responding to?

A quick review, first -- lest we allow ourselves to grow numb to the horror of what the Trump administration has done at the border. It made a strategic and cruel decision to separate children, including toddlers and babies, from their parents — most of whom have come to the border from Central American countries seeking asylum -- and then used those stolen children as leverage to get those parents to rescind any asylum claims and return home, and to dishearten future migrants.

Now, under pressure from the courts, officials are struggling to reunite separated families -- and oops, it turned out they didn't have a functional tracking system in place, so they can't easily figure out which kids belong to which parents. It's a colossal train wreck, unparalleled in recent memory, and with dire consequences: Frightened children trapped in cages, desperate and terrified parents not knowing when or whether they will see their sons and daughters again.

Instead of taking responsibility, Trump and his aides have dodged and deflected, first blaming Democrats for the policy (which they had nothing to do with) and now pinning the problem on a new scapegoat: The parents. A federal court ordered the administration to reunite parents and children under the age of 5 by Tuesday. The administration can't; they're so screwed up and chaotic they're going to blow the deadline.

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