No matter what side of the political spectrum you’re on, one truth seems to hold steady: There is a crisis unfolding at the southern border. What exactly this crisis entails seems to vary depending on political ideology and where you get your news. But still, most Americans — 73% according to a Pew poll — agree that something needs to be done.

Yet, for decades, inaction on immigration has been the norm. Now, as the U.S. economy aches for workers, humanitarian disasters unfold in countries in the Caribbean and Central and South America, and tens of thousands of migrants languish at the border amid an absurd bureaucratic nightmare, it is time that our elected leaders step up and produce meaningful immigration reform.

In the fiscal year 2022, Customs and Border Protection reported that undocumented immigrant crossings topped 2.76 million. Not only was it a new record, but it shattered the previous record by over a million crossings.

Late last year, the Texas border city of El Paso was averaging roughly 2,400 arrivals every day. And across the country, “sanctuary” cities and states have seen an overwhelming influx of immigrants. From New York City to Washington D.C. to Denver, which has seen nearly 4,000 immigrants arrive since early December, the crisis has truly enveloped America.

And with systems stretched, resources waning and cities in need of financial support, it’s no surprise that stories of desperation, mistreatment and tragedy abound.

But for all the recognition of the catastrophe unfolding before us, meaningful reform has remained a pipedream. This, in part, seems born of the political disagreement about what element of the situation at the border constitutes a crisis.

Generally speaking, one side of the aisle views the crisis as the result of an ongoing “invasion,” a fear built atop the notion that American cultures and traditions are being erased by the tide of immigration.

Viewed from the other side, the crisis is one of a humanitarian nature.

Millions of people fleeing war, gang violence and starvation are suffering cruel indignities at the hands of outdated policies, with some even being callously used as political pawns by governors trying to increase their national profile.

Pessimistically, examining the decades of inaction from Republicans and Democrats alike, it almost seems as though neither party truly wants a solution — the crisis in itself is too valuable. As a political tool, there are few issues as potent as the border.

So, while we can all agree on the fact that there is an emergency at our southern border, our inability to agree on the nature of the crisis and how to begin addressing it has left us stuck in a devastating cycle — one in which human beings are suffering because of our inaction.

That cycle must end.

Reform must come, first and foremost, to ensure that the dignity and humanity of those at our border is once again respected.

Whether they are seeking entry to our country legally or illegally, the immigrants crossing our border are still people, and we must enact policies and rebuild our system to prevent anyone from suffering.

But reform is also necessary because we are in dire need of workers. The U.S. unemployment rate is nearly as low as it can go and, until 2022, our birth rate had been steadily declining. Not only do we need more workers now to fill jobs, but we will continue needing them in the future.

Plus, there is a broad recognition of the fact that immigrants do the jobs that U.S. citizens do not want — primarily filling positions in agriculture and construction, but also in the ever-more-important gig economy.

With these two goals in mind, and considering our general agreement on the core issue, rational reforms should be able to appease both parties.

No one wants illegal immigration to continue unabated. But we need a functioning asylum process, work permits and reasonable means of entry.

On top of that, we need to continue serving in our role as a world leader and offer assistance to the countries from which these migrants are fleeing. Not simply to shut off the flow of immigration, but because it is the right thing to do — a rising tide lifts all boats.

Finally, there are the “Dreamers.” Once again, Americans agree that Dreamers should be granted a pathway to citizenship, but time and again our leaders have failed to act — even when Democrats had control of the presidency and both houses of Congress.

This is shameful. A bipartisan solution should happen this session. And it should happen because we, as a country, agree on it.

We are, after all, a democracy. And it is this democracy, this freedom, that makes America so desirable. People scrimp and save and risk their lives to travel thousands of miles in the hopes of starting a new life here — here where it is possible to have agency in the shape of the future, both personally and collectively.

So, if we collectively agree on these things — that there is a crisis, that immigrants aren’t stealing our jobs and are in fact necessary to maintaining our economy, and that Dreamers deserve a pathway to citizenship — then it is our responsibility, and the responsibility of those who we have chosen to represent us, to bring true immigration reform to fruition.

When considering the border and immigration, we must all remember that America as we know it was built on immigration.

Our traditions, culture and economy were crafted by immigrants — whether it was you or your parents or your great-great-grandparents — who came to this land seeking asylum or opportunity or freedom. Do we really want to close the door behind us?

Gary Garrison for the Editorial Board