Paul Ryan's staff kicks Hispanic caucus members out of meeting on ICE raids

With families already being torn apart as a result of Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant agenda, members of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus were looking forward to meeting with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials to discuss the current and future impact on their communities.

However, ICE abruptly cancelled the meeting that had been arranged earlier this week, claiming that the Caucus had submitted a larger guest list than they anticipated.

After the cancellation, the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees ICE, reached out to the GOP leadership of the House for direction. According to House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) in a press conference, the Trump administration decided it wanted the meeting to be bipartisan and took the “highly unusual” step of designating who would attend from both parties — which did not include any members of the Hispanic Caucus.

When Caucus members arrived at the meeting in the trust that House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) would grant them the courtesy of attending as guests, they were kicked out because they were not on the list of invited attendees.

Waiting outside @ICEgov mtg w/ House leadership b/c they refuse to meet w/ @HispanicCaucus members. pic.twitter.com/YzlpOFpCmw

— Rep. Norma Torres (@NormaJTorres) February 16, 2017

I was asked to leave the meeting with #ICE by @SpeakerRyan staff. Never before in 20 plus years has this happened. pic.twitter.com/Vbe0BnsZNK

— Luis V. Gutiérrez (@RepGutierrez) February 16, 2017

Con Trump en la Casa Blanca, tenemos dictador en el Congreso. El @SpeakerRyan me pidió salir de la reunión con #ICE pic.twitter.com/BqHnIqQTS7

— Luis V. Gutiérrez (@RepGutierrez) February 16, 2017

After outcry by House Democratic leadership, Caucus Chair Representative Joaquín Castro (D-TX) was allowed to participate in the meeting. His report afterward is chilling:

1. After attending the ICE meeting it's hard not to conclude that President Trump has started his mass deportation plan.

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 16, 2017

2. Only Dreamers with no offenses (including traffic tickets) or perceived gang affiliations seem exempt.

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 16, 2017

3. ICE's abilities will only be affected by how big their budget is.

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 16, 2017

4. By Dreamers I mean DACA recipients.

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 16, 2017

5. Qs ICE didn't answer:
How many new ppl in detention ctrs
Breakdown of countries of origin
Breakdown visa overstays v "border crossers"

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 16, 2017

6. thought about how to describe it; I know families are scared. But it must be called what it appears to be.

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 16, 2017

7. For those who argue it's the same as previous admins. ICE fully agrees mandate to deport is broader and will ask for larger budget.

— Joaquin Castro (@JoaquinCastrotx) February 16, 2017

Few Americans — even few Republicans — support mass deportations: An overwhelming 79 percent of Americans support a path to citizenship or permanent legal resident status for immigrants. Nonetheless, the Trump administration appears to be proceeding with plans to target as many immigrants as possible in its racist and nationalistic fervor.

Americans are stepping up to protest and try to prevent ICE raids, but the challenge of stopping the destruction of immigrant families and communities within the United States under Trump should not be underestimated — especially when even Hispanic members of Congress are treated with such disrespect by their own colleagues.