An illegal immigrant who once served as an aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., has reportedly self-deported to Colombia, praising the “freedom of movement” in the South American nation after working in Congress despite being in the country illegally.
Diego de la Vega was born in Ecuador and immigrated to the United States as a 7-year-old in 2001 on a visitor’s visa that he overstayed, Migrant Insider reported.
The news raises thorny questions about his employment status for the Queens-based congresswoman.
“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” de la Vega 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.
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“It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork,” he added. “That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying.”
De la Vega became politically active after the failure of the Dream Act in 2010, when the legislation fell just five votes short in the Senate.
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After working for an immigrant rights group, he served as communications director for Robert Rodriguez, then a member of the New York State Assembly, who currently serves as president and CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority, according to his LinkedIn page.
In 2021, de la Vega was hired by Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election campaign and eventually became her deputy communications director.
“Diego is amazing,” Ocasio-Cortez told the news outlet. “We love him.”
De la Vega worked for Ocasio-Cortez despite not being a U.S. citizen. DACA recipients are barred from paid positions in congressional offices.
Fox News Digital has reached out to the congresswoman’s office.
“We were always honest with voters in New York City,” de la Vega said of working with Ocasio-Cortez. “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.”
He noted that he became frustrated with how the immigration movement was going.
“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.”
As a child, de la Vega said he lived in fear but said he had a good childhood in New York. He said he may not be able to return to the U.S. “for many years” but that “it feels fulfilling to be home.”
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