Ecuador protests US after ICE agents attempt to enter consulate in Minneapolis VIDEO / PHOTO

Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry filed a formal diplomatic protest to the US Embassy in the country after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempted to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis without permission on January 27.

At the time of the intrusion, the Staff of the diplomatic mission turned away the agents by blocking the entrance and activating emergency security measures to protect Ecuadorian citizens who were inside the building, Caliber.Az reports, citing US media.

“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,” the ministry wrote on X.

Through the protest, Ecuador’s Foreign Minister, Gabriela Sommerfeld, demanded guarantees that similar incidents will not be repeated at Ecuador’s consulates on U.S. territory.

The State Department, Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The incident took place amid a federal immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis that has drawn criticism and legal challenges over its tactics — scrutiny that has deepened over the past weeks after federal agents fatally shot two residents, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, both U.S. citizens.

Under international law, law enforcement authorities are generally prohibited from entering foreign consulates or embassies without the permission of the consul or ambassador, though consent may be presumed during certain life-threatening emergencies, such as fires.

By Khagan Isayev