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ICE agent tries to enter Ecuador consulate in Minneapolis; threatens to ‘grab’ staffer | Video
An ICE agent attempted to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, leading the minister of foreign affairs to file a ‘note of protest’ with the US.
An ICE agent tried to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, Minnesota amid the ongoing operations there. However, the action led to the minister of foreign affairs filing a ‘note of protest’ with the US government.
Videos of the incident went viral online, amid tensions simmering in Minnesota over Alex Pretti and Renee Nicole Good's shootings at the hands of federal agents.
The clip is from inside the consulate and shows a person rushing towards the door as an ICE agent attempts to enter. A confrontation ensues where the person tries to convey this is a government property, belonging to another country. The staffer says “This is the Ecuadorian consulate. You’re not allowed to enter.” The agent can be heard saying “If you touch me, I will grab you.”
International law normally prohibits local law enforcement authorities from entering foreign consulates or embassies if they do not have permission. The agents in this case did not have the necessary permission. Notably, sometimes permission can be assumed granted for life-threatening cases like a fire breakout, but nothing of the sort happened in the Ecuadorian embassy today.
Ecuador lodges complaint
Ecuador's ministry addressed the incident in a X post, saying “Consulate officials immediately prevented the ICE officer from entering the consular building, thus ensuring the protection of the Ecuadorians who were present at the time and activating the emergency protocols issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Mobility.”
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They filed a ‘not of protest’ with the US embassy in Ecuador, so that such attempts are not made at other consulates.
Notably, the government of Daniel Noboa is one of the US' closest allies in South America. Today's actions come even as President Donald Trump announced that he would ‘de-escalate a little bit’, following the killings of two Americans there. Last week, a picture showing a five-year-old Ecuadorian boy being escorted by an immigration agent, went viral sparking protests.
