By V3Edge Blog Media
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents attempted to enter Ecuador’s consulate in Minneapolis on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, but were prevented from doing so by consulate staff, Ecuador’s Foreign Ministry has confirmed.
In an official statement, the ministry described the incident as an “attempted incursion into the Ecuadorean Consulate in Minneapolis by ICE agents.” It issued a formal “note of protest” to the US Embassy in Quito, demanding that such incidents “not be repeated.”
According to the ministry, consular officials repeatedly informed the agents they were not permitted access before securing the premises. The actions ensured the protection of Ecuadorian nationals inside the building at the time.
Eyewitnesses from nearby retail shops reported seeing immigration agents pursuing two individuals on the street who then entered the consulate. One woman, speaking anonymously for fear of retaliation, said:
“I saw the officers going after two people in the street, and then those people went into the consulate and the officers tried to go in after them. From what I observed, the agents were unable to enter the building.”
Under international law, consular offices are considered sovereign territory of the sending state and enjoy diplomatic immunity from unauthorised entry by agents of another country.
The attempted entry occurred amid **Operation Metro Surge**, a mass deportation drive in Minnesota involving about 3,000 heavily armed ICE and US Border Patrol agents deployed under orders from President Donald Trump several weeks ago.
The operation has already triggered weeks of protests in Minnesota and across the US, intensified by the fatal shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis by federal agents earlier this month.
Amid mounting political pressure, Trump’s border czar **Tom Homan** met Tuesday with Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Governor Tim Walz in an effort to defuse tensions.
Neither the US State Department nor the Department of Homeland Security (which oversees ICE and Border Patrol) immediately responded to requests for comment.
The incident has raised fresh concerns about the reach of federal immigration enforcement into diplomatic premises and the potential violation of international diplomatic protocols.
Ecuador protests ICE attempt to enter its Minneapolis consulate — agents blocked by staff amid mass deportation operation. Diplomatic immunity invoked. Tensions rise in Minnesota. 🇪🇨⚖️
#V3Edge #VDM #VeryDarkMan #ICE #EcuadorConsulate #Minneapolis #OperationMetroSurge #NaijaNews #NaijaGist #USImmigration #DiplomaticIncident
