Gowdy, a South Carolina Republican, has also sat down with Schumer. A former prosecutor who chairs the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security, Gowdy is a respected figure on the right and he has the ear of a broad swath of conservatives. Gowdy didn’t respond to an email from POLITICO about his discussions with Schumer.

“Congressman Gowdy has met with people of all political persuasions on immigration,” Gowdy spokeswoman Amanda Infield Duvall said in a statement. “He meets with people all the time on the issue.”

Schumer’s office declined to comment on the talks with Ryan and Gowdy. A source close to the issue said Schumer and Ryan “did not negotiate any specifics of House legislation at all in these meetings.”

Obama’s White House is also curious what’s going on with House Republicans and immigration, and administration officials are trying to quietly take their temperature.