How this effects [sic] this country's current reputation as a place to study, travel, find work, and start families + settle down can't be understated.

That's the intention. The USA is more than a convenient incubator for foreigners. It's a nation responsible for its own future. Quite a lot of Americans don't want foreigners to make plans expecting that the USA will just always be there to fulfill their whims.

A little unpredictability goes a long way in changing your national reputation as an easily exploited doormat.