By Micah Jonah, January 28, 2026
Ecuador has lodged a formal protest with the United States after an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent attempted to enter the country’s consulate in Minneapolis, an action blocked by consular staff, the Ecuadorean Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
The ministry said it had sent a note of protest to the United States Embassy in Quito, demanding that such incidents should not be repeated and describing the action as an attempted incursion into Ecuadorean diplomatic premises.
According to the statement, consulate staff prevented the ICE agent from entering the building, thereby protecting Ecuadorean nationals who were inside the premises at the time.
The incident occurred amid a large scale deportation operation in Minnesota involving thousands of ICE and United States Border Patrol agents deployed under orders of President Donald Trump.
Eyewitnesses working near the consulate said immigration agents were pursuing individuals on the street before the individuals entered the consulate, after which officers attempted to follow them inside but were stopped.
Under international law, embassies and consular offices are considered sovereign territory of the sending country and are protected from unauthorized entry by agents of another state.
The United States State Department and the Department of Homeland Security had not issued an official response to the incident as of the time of reporting.
Political tensions in Minneapolis have remained high following recent shootings linked to immigration enforcement operations, leading to protests and calls for de escalation of federal actions in the city.
