*By Christian Smith*
Republicans are demonizing legal immigrants and undocumented workers, trying to scare people to the polls in November's midterm elections, said Congressman Darren Soto.
In an interview Tuesday with Cheddar, the Florida Democrat said GOP candidates are pushing xenophobic immigration policies because President Trump's policies have failed to address many voters' economic insecurities.
"How much in way of accomplishments have they had this past year?" Soto asked rhetorically. "Almost nothing. So they have to run on fear and division, which is exactly what they're doing."
The White House is considering a proposal that would limit the number of immigrants who are approved for green cards and citizenship, according to a [report](https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/immigration/now-trump-administration-wants-limit-citizenship-legal-immigrants-n897931) from NBC News. The proposal would make it harder for immigrants who have used government social services such as Social Security and food stamps to obtain long-term legal residency status.
Stricter immigration has been one of Trump's signature issues, but only 43 percent of Americans approve of the administration's approach, according to [a new poll](https://www.axios.com/immigration-midterms-2018-support-trump-daca-border-wall-5d633f9a-8857-4eaa-b141-5378603f20f9.html) from Axios. That's on par with the president's overall approval rating, indicating how closely Trump may be identified with the issue. (Support was slightly higher for the president's border wall proposal, at 45 percent.)
Soto said voters are ahead of the GOP on immigration.
"This country is changing," he said. "We're becoming more diverse, and they're fighting against the tide."
For more on this story, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/white-house-reportedly-targeting-legal-immigrants-with-new-plan).
A Texas judge has ruled that Infowars host Alex Jones cannot use bankruptcy protection to avoid paying more than $1.1 billion to families who sued over his conspiracy theories that the Sandy Hook school massacre was a hoax.
Former President Donald Trump was fined $5,000 on Friday after a disparaging social media post about a key court staffer in his New York civil fraud case was allowed to linger on his campaign website after the judge ordered it deleted.
Lawyer Kenneth Chesebro pleaded guilty to a felony on Friday just as jury selection was getting underway in his trial on charges accusing him of participating in efforts to overturn Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 election in Georgia.
Republicans dropped Rep. Jim Jordan on Friday as their nominee for House speaker, making the decision during a closed-door session after the hard-edged ally of Donald Trump failed badly on a third ballot for the gavel.
Canada has removed 41 of its diplomats from India as tensions rise between the two nations.
Mitt Romney said he believes right-wing media is the reason for the radicalization of the GOP party.
An Army private who fled to North Korea before being returned home to the United States last month has been detained by the U.S. military, two officials said Thursday night, and is facing charges including desertion and possessing sexual images of a child.
Israel bombarded Gaza early Friday, hitting areas in the south where Palestinians had been told to seek safety, and it began evacuating a sizable Israeli town in the north near the Lebanese border, the latest sign of a potential ground invasion of Gaza that could trigger regional turmoil.
The Justice Department has secured a $9 million settlement with Ameris Bank over allegations that it avoided underwriting mortgages in predominately Black and Latino communities in Jacksonville, Florida, and discouraged people there from getting home loans.
Israel pounded the Gaza Strip with airstrikes on Thursday, including in the south where Palestinians were told to take refuge, and the country's defense minister told ground troops to “be ready” to invade, though he didn’t say when.
