Townhall has exclusively learned Rep. Mayra Flores (R-TX) was prevented from joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus (CHC), the leading caucus for Latino members of Congress, because she is a Republican and membership is only reserved for Democrats.

According to those familiar with the situation, Flores requested to join CHC in early October and was rejected shortly thereafter. Flores is not only the first Mexican-born woman to serve in Congress, but she also represents a district along the U.S.-Mexico border that is overwhelmingly Latino. CHC used to have Republicans members but they went on to create the Congressional Hispanic Conference as their own version of the CHC in the 2000s…

“As the first Mexican-born Congresswoman to serve in the U.S. House of Representatives, I thought joining the Congressional Hispanic Caucus would be a constructive way to build bridges and work in a bipartisan manner on behalf of our constituents. I was wrong. This denial once again proves a bias towards conservative Latinas that don’t fit their narrative or ideology,” Flores told Townhall.