A former employee of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) has surrendered to President Trump and gotten out of dodge.
Migrant Insider revealed on Thursday that Diego de la Vega, an illegal alien who worked for AOC as a deputy communications director after serving on her campaign in 2021, decided that he no longer felt safe living in America and decided to self-deport to Colombia.
De la Vega arrived in America from Quito, Ecuador as a 7-year-old in 2001 on a visitor’s visa that he overstayed. He told Migrant Insider that he long lived in fear due to his status as an illegal but patted himself on the back for taking advantage of his undeserved shot at the American dream.
“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.”
But now he feels like the United States is a place of exile for him and believes he will never return.
“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.”
For her part, AOC had only positive things to say about De la Vega.
“Diego is amazing,” Ocasio-Cortez told Migrant Insider. “We love him.”
De la Vega’s self-deportation came in December, one month after President Trump won the presidential election in November. Since Trump took office, Border crossings have dropped to levels not seen in 25 years.
As CBS News reported, the U.S. Border Patrol recorded approximately 8,450 apprehensions of foreign invaders between entry points along the U.S.-Mexico border last month.
If even long-time illegals like an AOC aide are running away, imagine how many less privileged illegals have taken the hint since Trump’s epic return. The outstanding numbers Americans see on illegal immigration are likely even better than they appear.