ICE agents blocked from attempting to enter Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis without permission.
Ecuador’s minister of foreign affairs has filed a protest with the U.S. Embassy after Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents tried to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis without permission on Tuesday.
A video of the attempt on social media shows a consulate staffer running to the door to turn the ICE agents away around 11 a.m., telling them, “This is the Ecuadorian consulate.
One ICE officer can be heard responding by threatening to “grab” the staffer if he touched the agent before agreeing to leave.
Legal experts said the ICE agent’s reported attempt to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis raises legal and diplomatic concerns.
Under those rules, U.S. law enforcement must either have explicit permission from consulate officials or a judicial warrant to enter.
She said 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. »