The government of Ecuador has condemned what it described as an attempt by a US federal immigration agent to enter the Ecuadorean consulate in Minneapolis. The agent was prevented from gaining access by consular officials, who acted 'to guarantee the protection of the Ecuadoreans who were inside the consulate at the time', a statement by Ecuador's foreign ministry said. Ecuador, whose president is an ally of Trump, has filed an official complaint.
The incident comes at a time of high tension in the US city, just days after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by border agents during protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Ecuador's foreign ministry said in a statement that an agent of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) had 'tried to enter the premises of the consulate' at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, consular premises are considered 'inviolable'. Ecuador stated that its officials had not consented to ICE entering the consulate. In a video shared by Ecuadorian media, a consular official can be seen telling an ICE agent, 'this is the consulate, you're not allowed in here'. The agent responds that 'if you touch me, I will grab you'. The incident reflects the increasing friction between the Ecuadorean government and US immigration enforcement amid broader discussions around immigration policies.
The incident comes at a time of high tension in the US city, just days after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by border agents during protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Ecuador's foreign ministry said in a statement that an agent of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) had 'tried to enter the premises of the consulate' at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, consular premises are considered 'inviolable'. Ecuador stated that its officials had not consented to ICE entering the consulate. In a video shared by Ecuadorian media, a consular official can be seen telling an ICE agent, 'this is the consulate, you're not allowed in here'. The agent responds that 'if you touch me, I will grab you'. The incident reflects the increasing friction between the Ecuadorean government and US immigration enforcement amid broader discussions around immigration policies.
