AOC’s Former Illegal Alien Aide Reportedly Self-Deports To Colombia

Migrant Insider’s Pablo Manríquez reports that an illegal alien who previously worked for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (D-NY) reelection campaign self-deported in Decemeber to Colombia ahead of new immigration laws enacted under President Trump.

Manríquez spoke with Diego de la Vega, former deputy communications director for AoC’s reelection campaign, who told the online publication that he and his wife self-deported in December because he “wanted to be somewhere where I wasn’t considered illegal, where I wasn’t persecuted by the state, where I was welcome. So in December, my wife and I moved to Bogotá.”

“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years—from age seven to age thirty. Now, I can’t go back to the US. 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,” de la Vega said in the interview last week. 

He continued, “It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork.” 

Manríquez provided readers with an understanding of the moment the illegal became a far-left organizer:

De la Vega became politically active after witnessing the failure of the Dream Act in 2010, when the bill fell just five votes short in the Senate. He started organizing for immigrant rights, first as a communications worker in the New York State Assembly, then for Make the Road NY, an immigrant rights organization. His first major victory came in 2021 when, as digital organizer for Make the Road, he helped secure a $2.1 billion fund that provided $15,000 relief checks to undocumented workers excluded from federal pandemic aid.

“That was direct money in people’s pockets,” recalled de la Vega, who by then had enrolled in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.

His work did not go unnoticed. Within a year, he was hired by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s reelection campaign, where he eventually became her deputy communications director. “Alexandria comes from an organizing background herself, so she likes to hire people who share that experience,” he said. “She’s an excellent communicator, and the team she built is top-notch.”

De la Vega worked for AoC’s reelection campaign because federal rules bar illegals in any government position. He could not fulfill the Employment Eligibility Verification (I-9 Form) requirements. Congressional staffers also need extensive background checks that would reveal immigration status. Hence why the illegal was not able to work on Capitol Hill. 

De la Vega’s exit from America comes as Tricia McLaughlin, spokesperson at DHS, recently stated: “The best option for illegal aliens is to self-deport. If they leave now, they may still have an opportunity to return and live the American dream.”

The takeaway is that this is one less far-left illegal alien activist in American politics.

But there could be more…

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

Are taxpayers funding illegal alien far-left activists in American politics?