AOC former staffer Diego de la Vega self-deports to Colombia
An unlawful immigrant who as soon as served as an aide to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, has reportedly self-deported to Colombia, praising the “freedom of motion” within the South American nation after working in Congress regardless of being within the nation illegally.
Diego de la Vega was born in Ecuador and immigrated to america as a 7-year-old in 2001 on a customer’s visa that he overstayed, Migrant Insider reported.
The information raises thorny questions on his employment standing for the Queens-based congresswoman.
“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the nation in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” de la Vega instructed Migrant Insider. “Now, I can’t return to the US. It seems like exile. It’s a really everlasting transfer. However my spouse and I are assured we made the suitable choice. And, after a while, it’s been an actual pleasure to be right here.
“It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore. I don’t need to dwell within the shadows or continually fear about paperwork,” he added. “That freedom of motion is extremely satisfying.”
De la Vega grew to become politically energetic after the failure of the Dream Act in 2010, when the laws fell simply 5 votes quick within the Senate.
After working for an immigrant rights group, he served as communications director for Robert Rodriguez, then a member of the New York State Meeting, who presently serves as president and CEO of the New York State Dormitory Authority, based on his LinkedIn web page.
In 2021, de la Vega was employed by Ocasio-Cortez’s re-election marketing campaign and finally grew to become her deputy communications director.
“Diego is superb,” Ocasio-Cortez instructed the information outlet. “We love him.”
De la Vega labored for Ocasio-Cortez regardless of not being a US citizen. DACA recipients are barred from paid positions in congressional places of work.
Fox Information Digital has reached out to the congresswoman’s workplace.
“We had been at all times sincere with voters in New York Metropolis,” de la Vega mentioned of working with Ocasio-Cortez. “We didn’t dumb it down or inform them what they wished to listen to. We engaged with them actually. We listened, then defined that Alexandria was preventing for reform, however Republicans had been blocking it.”
He famous that he grew to become annoyed with how the immigration motion was going.
“Protections are going away, no matter who’s within the White Home. The technique hasn’t tailored to the trendy period,” he mentioned. “Biden had a trifecta — the Home, Senate and White Home, however dropped the ball.”
As a baby, de la Vega mentioned he lived in concern however mentioned he had a superb childhood in New York. He mentioned he could not be capable to return to the US “for a few years” however that “it feels fulfilling to be house.”
