Eugenics and sterilization efforts in the United States peaked in the 1930s, paralleling Nazi Germany's more extensive program, which saw an estimated 400,000 sterilizations compared to the U.S. total. American eugenicists even praised Nazi laws, despite growing public discomfort upon realizing that 27 U.S. states had similar sterilization policies for those deemed "feebleminded." While professional geneticists began discrediting eugenics, sterilization rates surged during the Great Depression due to economic pressures to cut costs. Concerns about the ethics and accuracy of these practices were highlighted by a Hollywood film, "Tomorrow's Children," and a 1935 scientific review by the Carnegie Institution found the Eugenics Record Office's data "useless" and criticized its lack of scientific grounding. High-profile cases, such as Anne Cooper Hewitt's lawsuit over forced sterilization to control inheritance, further fueled public debate, revealing societal moral outrage and a deeper awareness of American influence on Nazi practices. These historical discussions prompt reflections on modern systemic injustices, emphasizing the ongoing need to examine contemporary eugenics practices and forced sterilizations.