The country of Ecuador has raised alarm after an ICE agent attempted to enter its consulate in Northeast Minneapolis on Tuesday.
Video shared to social media shows the moment an ICE agent opened the door to the consulate at 2310 Central Ave. NE. and was quickly approached by a member of staff.
“If you touch me, I will grab you,” the agent is heard telling the staff member, who responds: “You cannot enter here. This is a consulate, this is a foreign government property.”
The agent was not granted entry to the building. Federal agents are not allowed to enter embassies or consulates without permission from the consul or ambassador, per international law.
NBC News reports that Ecuador Foreign Ministry has issued a “note of protest” with the U.S. embassy in Ecuador.
In a statement, the ministry said: “Consulate staff immediately prevented the ICE official from entering the consular building, thereby guaranteeing the protection of the Ecuadorians who found themselves in the consular building in that moment, and activating emergency protocols issued by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Human Movement.”
Later, Minneapolis City Council President said he spoke with Ambassador Helena Del Carmen Yanez, and said “they want to make sure the Ecuadorian community knows it’s still safe to come to the consulate.”
“These illegal actions by ICE are exactly why we always need patrols and people out on Central Ave,” Payne said.
Since the Trump administration’s Operation Metro Surge began in late December, there have been numerous instances of ICE and Border Patrol agents entering private properties without judicial warrants.
About the author
