Florida Republican Marco Rubio’s response to valid criticism that he’s done nothing to permanently protect Venezuelan immigrants in the state is to say that Venezuelans calling him out on his inaction aren’t really Venezuelan.
“I would like to ask Mr. Rubio why he did not support HR 6,” the House-passed legislation that would put Temporary Protected Status (TPS) holders on a path to legalization, Casa de Venezuela founder William Diaz told Miami Herald. It’s a good question, and it deserves an answer—but not according to Rubio.
“These are Democrat groups that are more Democrats than they are Venezuelan, that have been Democrats before and they will continue being Democrats after,” he told Miami Herald. But the outlet reports Diaz is a former supporter of Republican Rick Scott.
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Both Rubio and Scott have steadily failed to advocate for immigrants in their states, by refusing to support numerous pieces of legislation that would put temporary holders onto a pathway to permanent status.
Both did support the Biden administration’s popular decision last year to grant temporary relief to thousands of Venezuelan immigrants already here, but really only because the administration was going to go through with this well-received policy, whether or not Rubio and Scott approved. So they figured they might as well say they agreed with it.
But when it comes to something he can lead on himself, Marco continues to be a failure, slamming advocates for wanting “to turn the topic of Venezuela into an immigration issue,” Miami Herald continued. Rubio then dusted off an old talking point Republicans have used as an excuse to not act on humane immigration proposals (like the 2013 Senate immigration bill that Marco co-wrote but then disowned as part of his epically pathetic bid for the presidency).
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“It is impossible—and I say it with all sincerity—it is impossible to do absolutely anything about immigration while this emergency we have right now continues to exist,” he said, according to the report. Imagine this guy being sincere about anything.
The fact is that the GOP will never acknowledge a secure anything at the border if the president is a Democrat. Republicans were mimicking the language of an anti-immigrant hate group from the start of the president’s term.
Marco Rubio is creative only in the sense that he’s found ways to be a massive disappointment to humanity on multiple fronts, last month defending the harassment of LGBTQ children by supporting the state GOP’s “Don’t Say Gay” bill.
Rubio won’t even defend his own policy stances and decisions. We know he betrayed immigrant communities by turning his back on his immigration bill, but we also don’t discuss nearly enough how Rubio broke his promise not to run for reelection. He used the Pulse mass shooting as his excuse. He’s not only failed to combat gun violence since then, but he’s also given the thumbs-up to targeting LGBTQ kids. Shameful and pathetic.
Now again up for reelection in 2022, Miami Herald reports that Rubio joined New Jersey’s Bob Menendez in urging an extension of protections for Venezuelans—but still no pathway to legalization. “We are not buying it, we are not going to be props again in his political game,” Venezuelan American Caucus executive director Ade Ferro said in the report.
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