It’s OK to come into this country illegally, many people on the Left believe, as long as a person has the desire to do better and to “be better.”

After all, they say, what’s wrong with striving for upward motion, for personal progress, for success and happiness?

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What’s wrong with trying to make it here?

What’s wrong with providing for one’s family?

What’s wrong with aiming for the United States?

But that obscures the point. It’s not the whole point, either.

There are legal means to enter this country — and millions have people have done it.

They’ve filled out forms, waited in line, proved themselves. They knew (and know) that it was and is the right thing to do, and they’re proud of it.

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But far too many people on the Left think only of the people who long to come here and the people who have tricked the system, lied their way in, cheated and snuck in — anything.

And they fail to consider the costs to this country.

They also look the other way when it comes to the needs of American citizens already here, with roots here — our veterans, our elderly, our mentally ill, and so many more.

Oh, and by the way, it’s not OK to call these people “illegal aliens” in a “hateful” way if you’re in New York City — there’s a new law against that.

Now, actress and entertainer Selena Gomez has written an essay for Time magazine in which she sings the praises of those who are undocumented and living here.

She’s already being praised for its “poignance.”

Why?

Because the issue is personal for her.

“In the 1970s, my aunt crossed the border from Mexico to the United States hidden in the back of a truck,” she writes.

“My grandparents followed, and my father was born in Texas soon after.”

“In 1992, I was born a U.S. citizen thanks to their bravery and sacrifice.”

This is where (and why) so many on the Left are already applauding.

“Over the past four decades, members of my family have worked hard to gain United States citizenship,” she goes on.

And then: “Undocumented immigration is an issue I think about every day, and I never forget how blessed I am to have been born in this country thanks to my family and the grace of circumstance.”

“But when I read the news headlines or see debates about immigration rage on social media, I feel afraid for those in similar situations. I feel afraid for my country.”

That would be a country of laws, with borders that should be respected — a country that has allowed her success and the success of millions of others to occur — and a country that has many of its own needs and concerns to take care of and handle.

The docuseries she executive-produced, “Living Undocumented,” is available to stream on Netflix beginning on Wednesday, October 2.

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