Ecuador on Tuesday (Jan 27) condemned what it described as an attempted incursion by United States immigration agents into its consulate in Minneapolis, escalating diplomatic tensions amid nationwide protests against President Donald Trump’s aggressive deportation campaign.
In a statement, Ecuador’s foreign ministry said it had sent a formal letter of protest to the US embassy in Quito after an agent from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) allegedly attempted to enter the Ecuadorian consular building without authorization. Ecuador is governed by President Daniel Noboa, a key US ally in Latin America.
According to the ministry, the ICE agent was prevented from entering by consulate staff, who acted to protect Ecuadorian nationals sheltering inside the diplomatic mission. “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 said in a post on X.
Video footage circulating on social media appears to show a consulate staff member rushing to the entrance and blocking the agents, telling them: “This is the Ecuadorian consulate. You’re not allowed to enter.” One ICE officer is heard responding by threatening to “grab” the staffer if he touched the agent, before ultimately backing away and leaving the premises.
Minneapolis, in the northern US state of Minnesota, has become a flashpoint in the national confrontation over Trump’s deportation drive. Tensions have sharply escalated after ICE agents shot and killed two protesters this month. One of the victims was killed on Saturday while lying pinned to the ground by masked officers, according to witnesses and local activists.
International law generally bars law enforcement authorities from entering foreign embassies or consulates without explicit permission from the sending state. Exceptions are typically limited to life-threatening emergencies such as fires or natural disasters.
Ecuador’s foreign ministry said it had demanded assurances from Washington that “acts of this nature not be repeated in any of Ecuador’s consular offices in the United States.”
Earlier on Tuesday, Trump said he would “de-escalate a little bit” following the deadly clashes, though he offered no details on possible policy changes.
Public anger has also been fueled by a photograph that went viral last week showing a terrified five-year-old Ecuadorian boy being escorted by an immigration agent holding him by his Spiderman backpack. The image sparked fresh protests and renewed criticism from human rights groups, who accuse US authorities of using excessive force and disregarding the safety of migrants, including children.
