Illegal Alien Aide to AOC Self-Deports to Colombia After Making $80k a Year: Report

A former aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly left the United States and self-deported to Colombia after living in the country illegally for over two decades.

DID YOU KNOW

AOC’s campaign’s Deputy Communication Director was an illegal? He has now self-deported from the US to Colombia.

Why was a sitting member of Congress employing an illegal? pic.twitter.com/UxwZdtjBnI

— Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) March 7, 2025

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Diego de la Vega, who worked for Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election campaign and later became her deputy communications director, spoke about his decision in an interview with Migrant Insider.

“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” de la Vega said.

“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.”

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Born in Ecuador, de la Vega arrived in the United States in 2001 on a visitor’s visa at the age of seven but never left, remaining in the country illegally for over 20 years.

His case raises questions about his employment status within Ocasio-Cortez’s office, as DACA recipients are prohibited from holding paid positions in congressional offices.

Despite his legal status, de la Vega remained politically active. He became involved in immigration advocacy after the 2010 failure of the DREAM Act, which fell five votes short in the Senate.

He later worked for an immigrant rights group before serving as communications director for Robert Rodriguez, then a member of the New York State Assembly.

Rodriguez is now the president and CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority, according to de la Vega’s LinkedIn page.

Hey @AOC, aside from Diego de la Vega, how many other illegals did you have on your staff in 2024?

Here’s the publicly available list of people you employed at the expense of the taxpayer from July to September 2024.

You’ve also admitted Naureen Akhter entered the US illegally. https://t.co/EkIGgO6mB7 pic.twitter.com/uviCACdTaQ

— Paul A. Szypula (@Bubblebathgirl) March 7, 2025

In 2021, Ocasio-Cortez’s campaign hired de la Vega, eventually promoting him to deputy communications director. Ocasio-Cortez praised him in the interview, saying, “Diego is amazing. We love him.”

During his time working for Ocasio-Cortez, de la Vega said the campaign was transparent with voters about policy challenges.

“We were always honest with voters in New York City,” he said.

“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.”

Fox News Digital reached out to Ocasio-Cortez’s office for comment but has not received a response.

De la Vega expressed frustration with the state of immigration reform, stating that protections for undocumented immigrants have weakened over time.

“Protections are going away, regardless of who is in the White House.

The strategy hasn’t adapted to the modern era,” he said. “Biden had a trifecta — the House, Senate, and White House — but dropped the ball.”

He described his experience growing up in the United States as a mix of fear and opportunity.

“As a child, I lived in fear, but I had a good childhood in New York,” he said.

Now settled in Colombia, de la Vega said he no longer has to live in fear of deportation and appreciates the freedom of movement that he lacked in the U.S.

“It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork,” he said. “That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying.”

While de la Vega acknowledged that he may not be able to return to the U.S. “for many years,” he said, “it feels fulfilling to be home.”

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