Former illegal immigrant aide to AOC self-deports – was barred by law to be on payroll

As one aide got out of Dodge, it appeared advice wasn’t all New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D) had to worry about providing to illegal aliens.

In recent days, the Squad member had not only coyly doubled down when asked if she’d been providing advice on avoiding deportations, she’d also sought clarification on whether or not she was actually under investigation by the Department of Justice. A new layer was peeled back this week as Diego de la Vega, an Ecuadorian-born, now-former campaign aide to Ocasio-Cortez, disclosed that he had self-deported.

“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” he told Migrant Insider. “Now, I can’t go back to the U.S. It feels like exile. It’s a very permanent move. But my wife and I are confident we made the right decision. And, after some time, it’s been a real pleasure to be here.”

The longtime illegal alien, who’d relocated to Colombia, had explained that his family had overstayed a visitor’s visa when he was a child and went on to enroll him in school as they got jobs despite their status.

“It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to lie in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork. That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying,” said de la Vega, who had been credited with helping secure $2.1 billion as digital organizer for Make the Road, leading to pandemic payouts for illegal aliens.

“That was direct money in people’s pockets,” said the man who was himself enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a status that prohibited individuals from paid positions in congressional offices.

“Diego is amazing. We love him,” Ocasio-Cortez told Migrant Insider of the employee hired to work for her campaign in 2022 and eventually worked his way to being named deputy communications director.

Before expressing in an NPR interview that she was “giving advice to all of [her] constituents,” after being pressed on border czar Tom Homan calling her out over advising illegal aliens on how to avoid deportations, the New York lawmaker had fired off a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi seeking confirmation as to whether she was being investigated for her actions.

She wrote in part, “On February 13, 2025, Mr. Homan announced that he had asked the Deputy Attorney General to open an investigation, and that I will be ‘in trouble now.’ It has been 14 days since Mr. Homan first threatened to weaponize your agency, but I have not yet heard any referral from the federal government.”

AOC thinks she’s being cute, may have just admitted to a crime https://t.co/L243PJzhkV via @BIZPACReview

— BPR based (@DumpstrFireNews) March 3, 2025

“Homan’s actions undercut core Constitutional rights and further transparency is necessary,” she claimed.

Meanwhile, Ocasio-Cortez wasn’t the only official de la Vega had been employed by as his LinkedIn profile detailed that he’d previously worked for then-New York State Assemblyman Robert Rodriguez (D) as a communications director. Rodriguez has since gone on to become CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority.

“We were always honest with voters in New York City,” de la Vega told Migrant Insider regarding the congresswoman. “We didn’t dumb it down or tell them what they wanted to hear. We engaged with them honestly. We listened, then explained that Alexandria was fighting for reform, but Republicans were blocking it.”

“Protections are going away, regardless of who is in the White House. The strategy hasn’t adapted to the modern era,” he argued while contending, “[Then-President Joe] Biden had a trifecta — the House, Senate and White House, but dropped the ball.”

Staff Writer

Native of Brooklyn, NY, Kevin Haggerty is a graduate of Hunter College where he studied Cultural Anthropology and Geography. An avid reader and truth seeker, he currently resides in Texas with his wife and their dog and, when he isn’t researching current events and their impacts, you’ll find him spending time with friends and family or working on his next novel.

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