Marco Rubio, Who Once Endorsed TPS for Venezuelans, Now Says It Is 'Contrary to the National Interest of the United States'

Secretary of State Marco Rubio has reversed his position on Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Venezuelans, now describing the designation as "harmful to U.S. national interests".

According to newly released court documents, Rubio wrote a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem back in January in which, among other things, he stated that "designating Venezuela under TPS does not champion core American interests or put America and American citizens first," and that therefore "it is contrary to the foreign policy and the national interest of the United States."

The letter was first reported by The Miami Herald.

Rubio's shift is notable given his long record of supporting TPS for Venezuelan nationals fleeing the Maduro regime. In 2017 he urged the Trump administration to extend TPS to Venezuelans, stating it was not in the United States' interest to deport non-violent individuals back to the country.

Then, in 2019, Rubio co-sponsored the Venezuela TPS Act, being the only Republican to do so. After the Biden administration designated Venezuela for TPS in 2021, Rubio publicly supported the move and later pushed for expanded eligibility in 2022, warning that not doing so could be a "very real death sentence" for many Venezuelans.

Rubio went on to describe the country's conditions as having deteriorated, citing reports from the United Nations and other human rights bodies documenting extrajudicial killings, torture, political repression, and widespread food insecurity.

"Given the Maduro regime's ongoing campaign of state-sanctioned violence against the people of Venezuela and the humanitarian crisis present in the country, we request that you redesignate Venezuela for TPS for an additional 18 months," said the letter co-signed with former Senator Bob Menendez.

In contrast, Rubio's 2025 letter frames TPS as a policy that "facilitates and encourages mass migration" and undermines border security. He also cites the presence of criminal organizations like Venezuela's Tren de Aragua as a justification for ending TPS, stating they "threaten the stability of the international order in the Western Hemisphere."

Rubio's current position aligns with the Trump administration's broader strategy to tighten immigration policies and curtail temporary humanitarian protections. A recent Federal Register notice from the Department of Homeland Security indicated plans to terminate TPS for Venezuelans, arguing the country had shown improvements in areas like public health, crime, and economic stability.