American politics has become hideously ugly. The politics of immigration, even more so.

The nation now holds its breath to see how a GOP Congress, unfettered by the threat of a Democratic veto, will handle the fate of millions of illegal immigrants, thousands right here in Aurora.

The direction the federal government will take in resolving the decades-long immigration conundrum is as clear now, after the election of Donald Trump, as it was before the marathon presidential race began.

Trump has tweeted and peeled off a trove of inflammatory, often contradictory, notions, promises, threats and asides over the past several months. Not only do Democrats and Republicans not agree on how the country should handle millions and millions of illegal immigrants, even within each party, consensus on all or even some of the issues seems impossible.

Just this week, as the possibility was raised that Trump might actually be able to persuade Congress to begin systematic deportation of illegal immigrants, vast swaths of conservative business leaders began to murmur worries, again, about how such a move would affect the nation’s economy, draining their businesses of a supply of cheap labor, and the economic infusion of cash that comes with it.

The fear of the known and the unknown is making millions of legal and illegal immigrants nervous.

On Tuesday, Aurora Police Chief Nick Metz wisely joined a handful of other police chiefs making it clear that the police department here will not become the de-facto immigration police, regardless of what happens in Washington.

The move was an important step in protecting everyone in Aurora and maintaining calm.

We all must worry not just about real threats that can disrupt a large part of the metro-area community, but perceived ones.

The most immediate threat to Aurora and cities across the country comes from driving illegal immigrants into the shadows of our communities. By doing so, we create a population that would avoid contact with the police at all costs. It means an increase in hit-and-run traffic crashes as some immigrants would bolt to avoid deportation. It means people who are or are perceived as illegal immigrants would be easy targets for crime. Robbers and burglars would feel confident their victims won’t call the cops. And illegal immigrants witnessing crimes, crashes or suspicious activities, an important part of public safety, won’t contact police for fear of exposing themselves. In 2014, Colorado lawmakers repealed a 2006 law requiring police to report people they suspect are illegal immigrants.

Metz’s message right now is critical to maintaining public safety for all Aurora residents no matter what you think the federal government should do about the issue.

But crime isn’t the only problem this unsettled matter creates. There are thousands of children in local schools who are citizens, many of whom have parents who are not. And there are thousands of children who also are illegal immigrants, many who’ve lived here almost all of their lives.

The fear and angst over immigration status may prompt some parents to keep their children out of school for fear of being outed, or look for the safest bets in the metro area, overloading some school districts that responsibly make it clear immigration status will not be questioned.

We don’t have to put Aurora and the rest of the country through this. Comprehensive immigration reform can endow a legal worker status for some immigrants, and a clear path to citizenship for others. It can create a database that allows businesses to easily check residency status, and a system that harshly penalizes businesses that knowingly hire undocumented residents. Resolving these issues practically, humanely and sanely finally ends a distraction that keeps Colorado and the country from tackling real problems.

With the perceived obstruction of a Democratic president removed, this is the chance for the federal government to resolve this aging political albatross. Preventing undo panic and unintended consequences means that Congress and President-Elect Trump need to signal their hands before they sit down to hammer out details, and they must realize that this is one issue that must be solved collectively and comprehensively. Anything else will cause real and serious problems where currently there really aren’t any.