Ecuador's consulate in Minneapolis was a target for an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent who was thwarted from entering by an employee. On Tuesday, the Ecuadorian consul reported that at 11am, the ICE officer attempted to breach security at the consulate, prompting officials to prevent entry.
Consulate employees took swift action, stopping the agent in his tracks and ensuring the safety of those present. According to footage obtained by Reuters, the staffer firmly told the agent: "This is the consulate of Ecuador, you are not allowed to enter." The ICE officer responded with a menacing tone, saying "If you touch me, I will grab you" before leaving shortly after.
The incident has sparked outrage and criticism from lawmakers. Greg Meeks, top Democrat on the House foreign affairs committee, described it as an "outrageous and unacceptable disregard for the rule of law" by the Trump administration. He warned that such actions could put American diplomats, servicemen, and their families abroad at risk.
Meeks condemned the attempted intrusion as a sign that ICE is "completely out of control," operating without rules or accountability. The Department of Homeland Security and state department declined to comment on the incident. Ecuador's foreign minister submitted a formal note of protest to the US embassy in Quito, demanding that such actions be avoided at future consular offices.
The latest incident adds to concerns over ICE's aggressive campaign targeting people suspected of being in the US without authorization in Minnesota's largest city. The operation, dubbed "Metro Surge," has already been marred by controversy following the deaths of two US citizens.
Consulate employees took swift action, stopping the agent in his tracks and ensuring the safety of those present. According to footage obtained by Reuters, the staffer firmly told the agent: "This is the consulate of Ecuador, you are not allowed to enter." The ICE officer responded with a menacing tone, saying "If you touch me, I will grab you" before leaving shortly after.
The incident has sparked outrage and criticism from lawmakers. Greg Meeks, top Democrat on the House foreign affairs committee, described it as an "outrageous and unacceptable disregard for the rule of law" by the Trump administration. He warned that such actions could put American diplomats, servicemen, and their families abroad at risk.
Meeks condemned the attempted intrusion as a sign that ICE is "completely out of control," operating without rules or accountability. The Department of Homeland Security and state department declined to comment on the incident. Ecuador's foreign minister submitted a formal note of protest to the US embassy in Quito, demanding that such actions be avoided at future consular offices.
The latest incident adds to concerns over ICE's aggressive campaign targeting people suspected of being in the US without authorization in Minnesota's largest city. The operation, dubbed "Metro Surge," has already been marred by controversy following the deaths of two US citizens.
this is insane - an ICE agent trying to just enter a consulate like it's no big deal? and the fact that he gets all menacing on the employee who stops him is super concerning 
what kind of message are they sending? that you can just break rules and intimidate people when you want to? it's not right. i'm so glad the consulate employee stood up for themselves 
but seriously, this whole thing reeks of abuse of power. meeks is absolutely right, ice needs to be held accountable for their actions 
we need better policies in place to protect diplomats and others abroad, and an end to these aggressive campaigns that just put people's lives at risk 
the consulate employee was so brave and calm, I don't blame them for standing their ground 
. Meeks is totally right though, this is a huge concern about accountability and rule of law. what's next? gonna start showing up at schools or hospitals or something?! 
! How can someone just try to breach security at a consulate and think they get away with it? 
. I get it, the Trump administration might be trying to hide something, but that doesn't make it okay. And now Ecuador is all like "hey, US, don't do this at our office too" which makes sense. The whole thing just feels so... aggressive 
and then the staffer just calmly tells him to leave and gets all aggressive back from him? that's some crazy behavior right there! 
i mean, i get it that ICE has a job to do but come on man, can't they just follow protocol like everyone else? 
and now there are lawmakers and the Ecuadorian government freaking out about it... this is why we need more accountability in places like ICE. 
how many times does someone have to get pushed around before people take action?! 
According to the stats, ICE agents have attempted to breach 12 consular offices since 2020! 
85% of Americans support stricter immigration laws, but this just shows how out of touch our politicians are. 
That's like, 5x more likely to be stopped by TSA than white folks! 
. first, they try to bust into ecuador's consulate in minneapolis and now they're doing this all over the metro surge op? it's like they're out of control 
. gotta keep calling them out on this 
.
I mean, I get that it's all about immigration enforcement, but do we really need to be using tactics like this? It just looks like a recipe for disaster 
I'm a bit worried about this whole thing but I think it's good that someone stood up to the ICE agent 
! Those consulate employees were super brave and prioritized everyone's safety 
. Greg Meeks' comments make a lot of sense - we need accountability and clear rules in place for these kinds of situations 
. I hope the US government takes this seriously and makes changes to prevent similar incidents in the future 
. On a positive note, it's great to see Ecuador taking steps to protect its diplomatic staff 
. Let's keep spreading positivity and supporting each other during tough times 
!
this is so scary 
i can imagine how terrified the consulate staff must've been, just standing there face to face with someone who's so aggressive 
. Maybe we can get some real change happenin' if more people start callin' out ICE for their shenanigans 
This is absolute madness! I mean what kind of security measures are we talking about here? Some ICE agent just shows up out of nowhere and tries to breach the consulate? The fact that they had to be stopped by an employee who's basically saying "nope, you can't come in" is crazy. And then the agent has the nerve to threaten the staff? That's not just unprofessional, it's also a huge security risk.
. Like, who tries to storm an embassy thinking they can just waltz in? 
Dude, you're in a secure building, calm down! 
And now Ecuador is making a big deal about it too, which is kinda understandable. The whole thing just feels really shady and unprofessional. 
. I mean, who does that? It's like they forgot that this isn't a private residence, but a government building with people's lives at risk 
. I'm glad Ecuador spoke out against it too 
.
... I mean, an ICE agent just trying to break into Ecuador's consulate? That's like someone showing up at your home and trying to force their way in! 
The fact that they were given a firm but calm warning by the staff member is all well and good, but it's still super concerning that they even tried to breach security. And now Congress is getting involved, which is good, I guess? 
I just hope that this kind of behavior stops happening, especially when it involves diplomatic missions. It feels like ICE is overstepping its bounds and putting people in danger. We need more accountability and transparency from these agencies! 
It's crazy that one of those employees stood up for themselves and said "Nope, not gonna let you in!" 
. As a nation, we gotta make sure our diplomats and officials can feel safe while doing their jobs 
.