Trump administration Border Czar Tom Homan said Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez is under investigation for employing an illegal immigrant and helping others evade Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
“It’s being looked at, can’t comment past that. I’m aware of it, we’ve asked ICE to drill in on that case,” Mr. Homan told political commentator Benny Johnson.
He said he couldn’t comment on the case because it’s under investigation
“As far as you know her educating people on how to evade ICE arrests, she’s really educating them on how to be prosecuted…when you knowingly hinder your removal, that’s a crime,” Mr. Homan said.
Mr. Johnson questioned how it could be possible to employ an illegal immigrant in Congress, and Mr. Homan said “it is not possible.”
Diego de la Vega, former deputy communications director for Ms. Ocasio-Cortez, New York Democrat, moved to Colombia in March after living in New York City for 23 years. He was born in Ecuador and moved to the U.S. as a 7-year-old on a visitor’s visa that he then overstayed, becoming undocumented.
He told Migrant Insider that “it’s bittersweet” to move to Colombia.
“I hadn’t left the country in 23 years—from age seven to age thirty. Now, I can’t go back to the U.S,” he said. “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.”
“It feels surreal to not be ‘illegalized’ anymore. I don’t have to live in the shadows or constantly worry about paperwork,” he said. “That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying. I might not be able to return to the United States for many years—I don’t know how long. But it feels fulfilling to be home.”
Mr. de la Vega was politically active before starting with Ms. Ocasio-Cortez in 2022, working his way up to deputy communications director. He previously was a congressional fellow for former Rep. Carolyn Maloney of New York, according to his LinkedIn.
Ms. Ocasio-Cortez said “Diego is amazing” and “We love him” when asked about him in the hallways of the Capitol building by Migrant Insider.
Mr. Homan had called for the Justice Department to investigate Ms. Ocasio-Cortez after she hosted a “Know Your Rights” webinar in February for her constituents about how to interact with ICE.
She wrote a letter to Attorney General Pam Bondi in February requesting clarification on whether the Justice Department was investigating her.
“I write to request clarity on whether the Department of Justice (DOJ) has yielded to political pressure and attempts to weaponize the agency against elected officials whose speech they disagree with,” she wrote. “Over the past two weeks, ‘Border Czar’ Tom Homan has gone on multiple forums threatening political prosecution against me, citing resources I distributed informing my constituents and the American public of their constitutional and legal rights.”
She said Mr. Homan’s “attempts to use your agency to politically intimidate duly elected officials are a textbook threat to the right to free speech in the United States.”
She said at a town hall event in Queens in May that she wasn’t afraid.
“Come for me,” she said.
