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One such migrant is a 29-year-old Venezuelan named Christian, who arrived in 2023, secured a work permit, and applied for asylum. But now? He’s ready to leave.
“I just hope to manage to leave before they deport me,” another migrant named Jesus, also Venezuelan, told The Times.
Jesus, who came in 2024 and was briefly detained before being released, said he simply wants to return home before being forced out. His reason for coming? He wanted to provide for his family—five sisters in Venezuela.
“I came here to work to help my family,” he said.
While some are still trying to ride out the system, even they acknowledge they’re only here temporarily. Venezuelan couple Karla and Ender, who settled in Colorado with their four children, said things are better for them now—but they don’t plan to stay forever.
“You can barely make enough money to feed your family in Venezuela,” Karla admitted.
“We’ll leave once we have accomplished our goals, maybe in two years,” Ender added.
But it’s not just newly arrived migrants leaving— even politically connected illegals are heading for the door. One of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s former staffers, Diego de la Vega, who was in the U.S. unlawfully, has also left the country.
Just Released: Trump White House Collector’s Bobblehead!
De la Vega, who overstayed a tourist visa in 2001 after arriving from Ecuador at age 7, was protected under Obama’s controversial DACA program. Despite legal protections, he decided to self-deport after 23 years in the U.S.
“It’s bittersweet. I hadn’t left the country in 23 years — from age seven to age 30,” he told Migrant Insider. “Now, I can’t go back to the U.S. It feels like exile. It’s a very permanent move.”
He described his move abroad as freeing—finally no longer living in the shadows.
“It feels surreal to not be illegalized anymore,” de la Vega added. “That freedom of movement is incredibly satisfying.”
But his story raises legal and ethical questions. DACA recipients, by law, are not allowed to hold paid congressional positions. And yet, de la Vega served as deputy communications director for none other than AOC herself.
“Diego is amazing,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News. “We love him.”
De la Vega’s political activism began after the DREAM Act failed in 2010. He became involved with immigrant advocacy groups before eventually joining AOC’s campaign in 2021.
“We were always honest with voters in New York City,” he said. “We didn’t dumb it down or tell them what they wanted to hear. We engaged with them honestly.”
But many conservatives aren’t buying it. The idea that someone in the country illegally was operating in a high-level political position in Congress raises serious concerns about accountability, transparency, and national security.
Bottom line? The Trump effect is already reshaping the immigration landscape—illegals are getting the message loud and clear: the party’s over. The days of free passes, sanctuary cities, and open borders might finally be coming to an end.
And if even AOC’s top aide is voluntarily walking away from the Democrat dream, it’s clear something big is shifting.
