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Democrats in Congresssay Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials told them Thursday the agency plans to employ a broader brush in making immigration arrests, armed with a new executive order from President Trump.

"They said that we can and should expect many more arrests and removals this year,"House Democratic Caucus vice chairwoman Linda Sanchez (D-Whittier) said Thursday. "I wish I had better news for our communities in this country, but unfortunately the administration has taken a turn from where our past commitment to immigrant communities has been."

The Times reported last week that up to 8 million people could be deported under Trump's immigration orders.

Democrats and Republicans in House leadership met in a closed-door meeting with Acting ICE Director Thomas Homan to talk about last week's immigration raids in Los Angeles and other cities, which netted nearly 700 people across the country last week.

Democrats have complained about getting little or conflicting information about who was targeted in the raids that have panicked many in the immigrant community.Still unclear, they say, is exactly how the Department of Homeland Security will enforce Trump's executive order, which allows almost any immigrant living in the U.S. illegally tobe targeted for deportation. Though deportations rose under President Obama, previous administrations have focused on removing people who had committed violent crimes.

Sanchez said she left the meeting believing "they are only constrained by the resources that they have in terms of who the priority is."

The agency characterized last week's raids as routine , butimmigrant advocacy groups say they went beyond the norm byarresting people without a violent criminal history.

According to a description of the meeting provided by an ICE spokeswoman,Homan told members the agency is targetingpeoplebased on law enforcement tips.But they'll also sweep up immigrants in the country illegally if they encounter them while making the targeted arrests.

Rep. Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose) said some of the crimesarrested immigrants had committedincluded trespassing and traffic violations,along with serious felonies. ICE also provided a list of 112 people who were arrested but had no criminal history.

House Speaker Paul Ryan's office hosted the meeting.His spokeswoman said it was "limited to members with jurisdictional interests in immigration enforcement" at the Homeland Security Department's request.

Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.) was allowed to attend to represent the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, which she chairs, but was told other members weren't invited. The caucus had a meeting scheduled with Homanon Tuesday that was abruptly canceled .

Several California members who could not get intoThursday's closed meeting said it was unacceptable and waited outside. California's Rep. Norma Torres (D-Pomona), who emigrated from Guatemala as a child, said she knew she wasn't invited but came anyway.She was asked to leaveby Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (D-Va.).

Homan said he would have an additional meeting with the entire caucus, Lujan Grisham said, but it hasn't been scheduled.

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After clamoring for answers from immigration officials, Democrats say they were told arrests will be broad - Los Angeles Times