• Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs filed formal protest with US Embassy after ICE agent attempted unauthorized entry into Minneapolis consulate Tuesday morning
• International law under Vienna Convention prohibits law enforcement from entering foreign consulates without permission, legal experts confirm
• Incident occurs amid escalating tensions over Operation Metro Surge that has resulted in two civilian deaths in Minneapolis this month

MINNEAPOLIS, MN (TDR) — An Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent attempted to forcefully enter Ecuador’s consulate in Minneapolis on Tuesday morning, prompting Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs to file a formal diplomatic protest with the United States—an unusual rebuke from a close Washington ally during an already turbulent period for federal immigration enforcement in Minnesota.

The incident occurred around 11 a.m. local time, according to Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Consular staff successfully blocked the agent from entering the building at the facility located on Central Avenue Northeast, protecting Ecuadorian citizens who were inside conducting business and activating emergency protocols.

“This is the Ecuadorian consulate. You’re not allowed to enter,” a consulate staffer can be heard telling the agent in video footage circulated on social media showing him rushing to the door to prevent entry.

Vienna Convention Violation Alleged

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Ecuador’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs cited the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations in its protest, asserting that the attempted entry violated international law. The convention, ratified by 182 states including the United States, explicitly prohibits host country authorities from entering consular premises without permission except in life-threatening emergencies such as fires.

“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,” Ecuador’s ministry stated.

Ana Pottratz Acosta, a University of Minnesota Law School professor and affiliate of the James H. Binger Center for New Americans, described the incident as a “major infraction of diplomatic norms.”

“There are rules of the road under international law. We respect the autonomy of Ecuador’s consular posts here so that, in return, Ecuador respects the autonomy of U.S. embassies and consulates operating abroad,” Acosta explained.

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The Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, adopted in 1963, states that “the authorities of the receiving State shall not enter that part of the consular premises which is used exclusively for the purpose of the work of the consular post except with the consent of the head of the consular post.” The treaty codifies longstanding diplomatic practices designed to facilitate relations between sovereign states.

Legal experts say attempting to enter a foreign consulate without authorization could strain diplomatic relations between the United States and Ecuador, a traditional U.S. ally in South America. International law generally grants consular facilities and diplomatic missions immunity from host country law enforcement actions.

Threat Captured On Video

In the video footage circulating online, one ICE officer can be heard responding to the consulate staffer by threatening to “grab” him if he touched the agent before ultimately agreeing to leave the premises. The exchange highlights the confrontational nature of the attempted entry.

“The Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic immediately submitted a letter of protest to the United States Embassy in Ecuador to ensure that acts of this nature are not repeated at any of Ecuador’s consular offices in the United States,” the ministry’s statement said.

Minneapolis City Council Member Elliot Payne released a video statement Tuesday afternoon confirming he spoke with Ambassador Yanez, who reassured the Ecuadorian community that it remains safe to visit the consulate despite the incident.

The State Department, Department of Homeland Security, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the attempted entry or Ecuador’s diplomatic protest.

Context Of Minnesota Immigration Crisis

The consulate incident occurred amid mounting tensions over Operation Metro Surge, the Trump administration’s massive immigration enforcement operation that has deployed more than 3,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis-Saint Paul metropolitan area. The operation, announced as the largest immigration enforcement action ever carried out, has sparked daily protests and drawn sharp criticism from Minnesota state officials.

Two U.S. citizens have been killed by federal agents during immigration enforcement operations in Minneapolis this month. Renée Good, a 37-year-old woman, was fatally shot January 7 by ICE agent Jonathan Ross as she sat in her vehicle. Video footage showed agents ordering her from the car before Ross fired three shots through her windshield.

“Having seen the video myself, I want to tell everybody directly that is bullshit,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said of federal claims that Good weaponized her vehicle. “To ICE, get the fuck out of Minneapolis.”

On January 24, Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse at the Minneapolis Veterans Affairs Medical Center, was shot and killed by Border Patrol agents while filming their activities in public. Bystander videos verified by Reuters, BBC, The Wall Street Journal, and Associated Press showed Pretti holding a mobile phone—not a gun—as he tried to help protesters being pushed to the ground by federal agents.

“He thought it was terrible, you know, kidnapping children, just grabbing people off the street. He cared about those people, and he knew it was wrong, so he did participate in protests,” Pretti’s father told the Associated Press.

Minnesota Governor Tim Walz has characterized the federal enforcement operations as “governance designed to generate fear, headlines and conflict,” while Attorney General Keith Ellison stated the operation’s primary purpose appears to be “retribution” rather than immigration enforcement.

Political Fallout Intensifies

The consul ate incident adds another layer to growing political tensions surrounding immigration enforcement in Minnesota. Democratic Representative Robin Kelly introduced articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Kristi Noem on January 15, citing obstruction of congressional oversight and violations of public trust through warrantless arrests. The articles had garnered 140 Democratic cosponsors as of January 26.

Republican Senator Thom Tillis became the first Senate Republican to call for Noem’s resignation Tuesday, telling reporters “I think she should go” when asked if he still had confidence in the secretary after events in Minneapolis.

“I cannot support the national Republicans’ stated retribution on the citizens of our state, nor can I count myself a member of a party that would do so,” said former Republican gubernatorial candidate Chris Madel, who withdrew from Minnesota’s 2026 race following Pretti’s killing.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan has been dispatched to Minnesota to oversee operations after Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino was reportedly demoted and scheduled to leave the state. More than 2,000 ICE agents and 1,000 Border Patrol agents remain deployed in the Minneapolis area.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced hours after Pretti’s death that Senate Democrats would block appropriations including Department of Homeland Security funding, saying the operations had crossed an unacceptable line.

International Law Precedent

The attempted consulate entry represents a potential breach of international obligations that could have broader diplomatic ramifications. The United States has historically relied on the Vienna Convention to protect its own diplomatic and consular facilities abroad from host country interference.

Legal scholars note that while consular immunity is less extensive than full diplomatic immunity, consular premises remain inviolable under international law. The convention’s protections ensure that sending states can conduct their consular functions—including assisting their nationals and issuing travel documents—without fear of interference from host country authorities.

“Attempting to enter a foreign consulate without authorization could strain diplomatic relations between the United States and Ecuador, a U.S. ally in South America,” Acosta warned.

Former President Joe Biden released a statement condemning the broader immigration enforcement operations, stating: “What has unfolded in Minneapolis this past month betrays our most basic values as Americans. We are not a nation that guns down our citizens in the street.”

The Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension has had its access to investigations revoked by federal authorities, prompting Democratic National Committee Chair Ken Martin to accuse the FBI of participating in a cover-up.

Will the attempted breach of Ecuador’s consulate force the Trump administration to reconsider its aggressive enforcement tactics in Minnesota, or will diplomatic protests fail to curb federal immigration operations that have already claimed two American lives?

Sources

This report was compiled using information from KSTP’s coverage of the consulate incident, The Washington Post’s reporting on Ecuador’s diplomatic protest, FOX 9 Minneapolis coverage, Yahoo News reporting on the incident, HuffPost’s coverage, information on the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations and Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, official text of the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, Wikipedia’s documentation of Operation Metro Surge, the killing of Renée Good, and the killing of Alex Pretti, Al Jazeera’s reporting on Pretti’s background, ABC News coverage of political fallout, and FOX 9’s updates on Minnesota ICE operations.

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