Feds Probe AOC For Employing Illegal Alien, Helping Migrants Evade ICE

Federal authorities have launched an investigation into Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) following allegations that she employed an undocumented immigrant and aided others in avoiding Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations. The inquiry, led by Border Czar Tom Homan under the Trump administration, has already sparked fierce political debate in Washington, pitting accusations of misconduct against claims of political persecution.

Homan confirmed in an interview that his office has directed ICE to investigate claims that Ocasio-Cortez knowingly hired an undocumented worker who later helped another individual evade federal agents. “It’s being looked at,” Homan said, declining to elaborate further on the investigation’s specifics. “We’ve asked ICE to drill in on that case. If she’s teaching people how to evade ICE arrests, she’s teaching them how to avoid prosecution — and that’s a crime.”

The controversy stems from two overlapping allegations. The first concerns Diego de la Vega, an immigrant activist who reportedly worked for Ocasio-Cortez as a deputy communications director despite lacking legal immigration status. The second involves the congresswoman’s efforts to educate undocumented migrants about their rights — actions critics claim amounted to instructing them on how to avoid detention.

Homan argued that such activities blur the line between advocacy and obstruction of justice. “There are clear statutes on the books,” he said. “If you knowingly help someone hinder removal, you’re committing a federal offense. Nobody, not even a member of Congress, is above that law.”

Skeptics of the probe question how an undocumented person could have gained employment in one of the most secure workplaces in the country — Capitol Hill. Federal hiring practices for congressional offices require background checks and verification of work authorization. Homan suggested that if the allegations prove true, it would represent a serious breach of protocol. “It’s not possible under normal circumstances,” he stated. “So if it happened, it means someone intentionally looked the other way.”

Reports indicate that de la Vega, who first gained attention as a DREAM Act supporter in 2010, left the United States voluntarily in 2023 amid heightened immigration enforcement. Before joining Ocasio-Cortez’s office, he served as a special assistant to former New York Assemblymember Robert J. Rodriguez and interned for Representative Carolyn Maloney (D-NY). In 2022, Ocasio-Cortez appointed him as her deputy communications director, praising him publicly. “Diego is amazing,” she said in an interview with Migrant Insider.

In February 2025, Homan sent a formal request to the deputy attorney general seeking an investigation into Ocasio-Cortez’s conduct. That request came just days after reports emerged that the congresswoman had hosted online workshops teaching immigrants how to respond during ICE encounters.

The “Know Your Rights” webinars, held in English and Spanish, advised participants that they were under no legal obligation to open their doors to ICE agents without a judge-signed warrant. Lawyers from immigrant advocacy groups joined the sessions, explaining due process protections and sharing printable materials for those fearing deportation. Ocasio-Cortez’s office also distributed contact information for pro bono legal aid and invited undocumented individuals to complete privacy release forms, which would allow her office to advocate in deportation proceedings.

To critics, those efforts constituted interference in federal enforcement. To her supporters, they were protected acts of public service.

Asked about the investigation, Ocasio-Cortez dismissed the allegations as “politically motivated” and said she has received no formal notification from the Department of Justice. “I’ve asked them, and they haven’t responded,” she told Fox News. “All I did was use the First Amendment to inform people of their constitutional rights. They can say whatever they want, but I’ve followed every procedure, and they refuse to answer my letters.”

She went on to warn that detaining or charging an elected official over such activity would mark “a tremendous escalation” and a dangerous precedent for American democracy. “If this administration is willing to bend laws and norms this far, what message does that send to the rest of the world about our rule of law?” she asked.

While Ocasio-Cortez maintains her innocence, the investigation has fueled deep political divisions in Washington. Conservative commentators have portrayed the case as evidence of hypocrisy within progressive immigration policy, accusing her of enabling illegal behavior while serving in Congress. Progressive lawmakers, meanwhile, say the inquiry is part of a pattern of retaliatory probes designed to silence critics of the administration’s immigration agenda.

Legal experts say the case raises difficult constitutional questions. “If the allegation involves providing legal information — such as explaining that ICE agents need a warrant to enter a home — that is protected speech,” said constitutional attorney Rachel Kline. “But if there’s proof of direct assistance in helping someone evade arrest, that’s different. The distinction between advocacy and facilitation will determine whether this case has any legal merit.”

The Justice Department has not released official details, citing an ongoing investigation. Privately, sources familiar with the case say ICE agents are reviewing employment and payroll records from Ocasio-Cortez’s office to determine whether de la Vega or others received payments in violation of federal employment law. Investigators are also examining whether congressional resources were used to support undocumented migrants in avoiding detention.

So far, no charges have been filed. But the case has already become another flashpoint in the ongoing clash between immigration enforcement and immigrant rights. For Ocasio-Cortez, one of the most visible progressive figures in Congress, the stakes are high — both legally and politically.

Her supporters argue that she is being punished for compassion. “Helping people understand their rights is not a crime,” said Maria Torres, an attorney with the National Immigrant Justice Center. “Congresswoman Ocasio-Cortez has stood up for families who live in fear every day. The fact that this is being twisted into an investigation says more about her opponents than it does about her actions.”

Conservative lawmakers see it differently. “If she broke the law, she must be held accountable,” said Representative Matt Gaetz (R-FL). “We can’t have one set of rules for ordinary Americans and another for politicians who think they’re above the system.”

As the inquiry unfolds, both sides are bracing for what could become a defining moment in the broader debate over immigration policy and political accountability. The Trump administration’s renewed focus on internal enforcement has already reshaped the national conversation about immigration. The possibility that a sitting congresswoman could face criminal scrutiny for allegedly harboring or assisting undocumented immigrants pushes that conversation into uncharted territory.

Ocasio-Cortez, for her part, remains defiant. “I will not be intimidated,” she said in a recent social media post. “Standing up for human rights will never be illegal, no matter how many times they try to make it so.”

Whether the investigation results in charges, sanctions, or political fallout remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: the clash between law enforcement and immigration advocacy has reached a new and volatile stage — one that could test not only the limits of congressional privilege but also the boundaries of the nation’s conscience.