It’s reasonable for all of us as citizens to be expected to abide by the laws that are in place to provide safety for our communities.

It’s also reasonable, in my view, for us to respect and support the legitimate efforts of police and other agencies to enforce those laws.

Common sense would also say that it’s also applicable for officers and agents to similarly respect and support law-abiding citizens.

In an ideal world, that joint partnership would result in safety and security in our cities and states with any law-breaking being dealt with fairly but firmly.

Unfortunately, things don’t appear to be that simple.

We are seeing examples throughout the nation of that balance getting lost — and it’s coming from both sides. Most recently there have been the clashes between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and protestors, although you could probably easily think of dozens of other historical events that had similar conflicts.

Do you ever wonder what it is like to be an ICE agent, particularly in places like Minneapolis and Los Angeles?

It sounds like a nightmare.

According to the government website, these men and women have the stated mission to “Protect America through criminal investigations and enforcing immigration laws to preserve national security and public safety.”

On the surface, I feel like those are admirable objectives. Those who come to the USA are subject to the laws of the land and need to be held accountable for their actions, just like the rest of us do.

But there has to be better ways to achieve those goals, doesn’t there?

Allegations of agents making arrests without due process, entering homes without warrants, having quotas about how many deportations to have, and failing to treat both citizens and non-citizens with proper human dignity should be taken seriously.

On the other hand, local governments and citizens aren’t without blame in this mess either.

Allegations of ignoring or impeding proper enforcement of laws, harassing individuals, businesses or gatherings simply because of rumors of ICE involvement, and failing to treat agents and other enforcement officers without human dignity should also be taken seriously.

Too often the actions of both sides have turned violent or disruptive, which is never going to succeed in addressing the root causes of the problems. All it will do is create more tension, animosity and — above all — fear.

Let me be clear in stating that I don’t think enforcement of laws — including immigration laws — is wrong. Just like I’ve told many of my sports friends over the years, work to change the rule if you don’t think it is just. Don’t blame the official for enforcing it.

But let me also be clear that I believe everyone has the right to stand up and question whether enforcement is being done fairly and accurately. Our governing documents provide methods to express our disagreement with our government should we feel the need.

The best scenario, however, is when citizens and agencies respect each other, work together and find common ground that results in improvement.

In terms of immigration, not every undocumented immigrant is in the US to work for cartels and commit crimes, as some appear to believe. But neither is every undocumented immigrant in the US to work hard, pay taxes and wait for an opportunity to become a legal immigrant, as others appear to believe.

As is usually the case, I think the truth is between the two extreme views.

I’d like to see us doing better as a nation to help those undocumented immigrants who deserve it while holding them accountable for their actions. I think that meticulous enforcement of immigration laws with a focus on transparency, fairness and justice would’ve been far more beneficial than the current approach.

I know I don’t have all the answers. I don’t think there are simple solutions to any complex problems.

So we make the best of it. We do our part to the best of our ability and hope everyone else does the same.

Jared Lloyd is the managing editor for the Daily Herald and can be reached at jlloyd@heraldextra.com.