Some Trump supporters say undocumented immigrants are to blame for bringing their kids to the border in the first place. They say they believe the administration is simply enforcing existing immigration law.
"I blame it on the parents for letting it happen because they bring them up and know they can't get across there legally," said Ron Carroll, a 69-year-old resident of Mesa, Arizona.
"He should enforce the laws like he's doing, and our Congress needs to abide by the laws and follow the laws and enforce the laws. Not go against our President," he said. He said he blames backlash over the practice on Congress for signing off on a law without knowing what it says, going back to the Obama administration.
"Like I said earlier, it's the parents that bring them up, and they already know they're going to take them away, so to me there's no issue there, Carroll said.
His wife agreed saying "To be perfectly honest, I'm angry at the parents," she said. "I feel very honestly that it's their fault that the children have been separated, because they're bringing them in illegally. And the other thing is, the law that has been put on the books was not put on recently. It was put on back many years ago, and I think very seriously that they need very firmly to say enough is enough." She faulted the media for using children to play on people's emotions.
"I think people need to stop constantly bringing up the poor children, the poor children. The parents are the problems. They're the ones coming in illegally," she said. "Quit trying to make us feel teary-eyed for the children. Yes, I love children a great deal, but to me, it's up to the parents to do things rightfully and legally."
Carl Bier, an 84-year-old retiree said undocumented immigrants should face consequences for trying to cross the border illegally.
"Here's how I feel about it: When I was a kid, 16 years old, I got fined for swimming in a lake 'cause I didn't follow the rules," he said. "These people that we have coming across the border illegally are breaking the rules. I have no feelings for them at all."
Sonya Coppa, a mother of two says children affected by family separation are the victims of their parents' poor choices. "Unfortunately, those parents and those children are feeling what their choices are. "
"You can't just come into this state and reap," she said. "Do it legally, get your card, become a citizen pay your taxes. That's what I believe in."
"I don't want to see families torn apart, but I also support enforcing the law," said Jessica Lycos, a political consultant based in Phoenix.
Brian Shiau, vice president of a private equity holding company, "I don't think the people involved want to do it this way, but that's the way that the policy has been instructed for them to do," he said.
Renee Padilla, who works in human resources said "It's not just involving separating the families -- we're trying to secure our borders to stop the drug trafficking, the sex trafficking and I think it goes a little deeper," she said. "At the end of the day, to make America great again I think both sides of the aisle need to come together.
Pascal Kropf, said he doesn't think children should be taken from their parents. But as long as a law that leads to family separation is "on the books," it should be enforced. "If we don't like it, let's get together and change it. Let's fix it," he said.
"Unfortunately ... it's politics."