AOC’s undocumented aide leaves US after Trump wins

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A former aide to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has made the decision to leave the United States following President Trump’s electoral victory, opting to self-deport to Colombia.

According to Migrant Insider’s Thursday report, Diego de la Vega, who served as a deputy communications director for AOC after working on her 2021 campaign, determined that remaining in America no longer felt secure for him as an undocumented resident.

De la Vega’s story began in 2001 when he entered the United States at age seven from Quito, Ecuador, on a visitor’s visa which he subsequently overstayed. In his interview with Migrant Insider, he shared his experiences of growing up undocumented in America, acknowledging both the challenges and opportunities he encountered.

Breaking in America: 🚨 AOC's political career is crumbling!

Diego de la Vega was being paid almost $80K a year to be Deputy Communication Director for AOC.

That is still not enough for him to stick around under AOC as he has officially self-deported back to Colombia. pic.twitter.com/Myuh4S17dA

— Tom Homan – Border Czar Commentary News (@TomHoman_) March 8, 2025

“It was very clear to me early on that our status was different. Even as a child, I understood what being illegal meant. We knew we had to protect ourselves,” de la Vega explained to Migrant Insider. “We lived in fear because we were not of the right status, but I had a pretty good childhood in New York.

“We worked hard, starting out in a basement apartment. But we went to school and got jobs.”

Now viewing the United States as a place of exile, de la Vega believes his departure is permanent.

“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” he added. “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.”

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

Representative Ocasio-Cortez expressed admiration for her former staffer, stating to Migrant Insider, “Diego is amazing. We love him.”

De la Vega’s departure in December followed Trump’s November election victory. Since Trump assumed office, border crossing statistics have plummeted to their lowest levels in 25 years.

Recent data from CBS News indicates that U.S. Border Patrol recorded roughly 8,450 apprehensions of unauthorized border crossers between points of entry along the U.S.-Mexico border in the previous month.

The self-deportation of a high-profile congressional aide suggests that the actual reduction in illegal immigration might exceed official statistics, as less-connected undocumented individuals likely followed similar paths after Trump’s return to power.