Tom Homan agreed to meet with the six members Tuesday, but immigration officials canceled the gathering hours before it was scheduled to take place. | AP Photo ICE cancels meeting to discuss immigration raids with Hispanic Caucus leadership

House Democrats aren’t buying the idea that a top federal immigration official bailed on a meeting with them over the size of the guest list, sources told POLITICO.

Tom Homan, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, abruptly canceled a meeting set for Tuesday afternoon with the leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus and other Democrats to discuss a recent wave of immigration raids.


An ICE official told POLITICO the caucus had invited more members to meeting than originally agreed upon and that a larger meeting required coordination with House leadership.

"Because the attendees list grew substantially, DHS reached out to the House leadership staff to arrange a bipartisan, in-depth briefing," Gillian Christensen, acting DHS press secretary, said in an emailed statement.

Caucus Chairwoman Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) said it was clear after a phone conversation with Homan Tuesday that the meeting was canceled purely for political reasons.

“ICE reached out to the leadership in Congress to make it — to insist — that it’s a bipartisan meeting,” Lujan Grisham said in an interview, “which tells me they’re looking for cover.”

ICE arrested more than 680 undocumented immigrants in targeted enforcement actions over the past week, the first major operations of their type under President Donald Trump.

Lujan Grisham and five other House Democrats sent a letter to Homan over the weekend that expressed concern about the raids and requested a meeting.

Homan agreed to meet with the six members Tuesday, but immigration officials canceled the gathering hours before it was scheduled to take place.

Instead, ICE said it planned to work with House leadership to organize a bipartisan meeting later this week. Lujan Grisham said the new meeting would take place on Thursday.

The group of Democrats had hoped to discuss the recent raids and any new guidance that has been issued to ICE agents since President Trump took office.

Lujan Grisham said she didn’t mind opening the meeting to Republicans, but was concerned that Tuesday’s gathering had been canceled.

“We just don’t want a delay tactic that potentially could be read as, ‘We’re not going to work with you as the Hispanic Caucus,’ she said. “That’s a problem, particularly in this particular set of issues. You need to work with us.”