Several House Democrats said they were kicked out of a meeting with a top federal immigration official Thursday, and accused Speaker Paul Ryan of the strong-arm move.
"I'm pretty shaken," said Rep. Luis Gutierrez (D-Ill.). "I've been here 25 years and I've never been told by the Speaker of the House that I can't attend a meeting I've requested."
Ten Democrats attended the meeting with acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement Director Thomas Homan, according to a list obtained by POLITICO, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.).
A source inside the room said House Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte told Democrats not on the list to leave. The Virginia Republican defended his decision, saying in a brief interview afterwards that the arrangement was "agreed upon ahead of time" and noting there were more Democrats than Republicans in the meeting.
"The speaker’s office organized a small bipartisan briefing that was, at the request of DHS, limited to members with jurisdictional interests in immigration enforcement," said AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Ryan, who did not attend the meeting.