*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).
The stunning removal of Kevin McCarthy as speaker has left the House adrift as Republicans struggle to bring order to their fractured majority and begin the difficult and potentially prolonged process of uniting around a new leader.
New York City is challenging a unique legal agreement that requires it to provide emergency housing to anyone who asks for it, as the city's shelter system strains under a large influx of international migrants who have arrived since last year.
Warned to mind his out-of-court comments, former President Donald Trump returned to his New York civil fraud trial Wednesday as lawyers on both sides closely questioned an accountant who prepared financial statements at the heart of the case.
The third day of former president Donald Trump's civil fraud trial kicked off earlier Wednesday in New York, a day after a judge imposed a limited gag order on Trump.
The National Zoo's three giant pandas — Mei Xiang, Tian Tian and their cub Xiao Qi Ji — are set to return to China in early December with no public signs that the 50-year-old exchange agreement struck by President Richard Nixon will continue.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy plans to force a vote Tuesday on the far-right effort to oust him from his leadership position and insists he will not cut a deal with Democrats to remain in power, setting the stage for an extraordinary and unpredictable showdown on the House floor.
