An Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent tried to enter the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis yesterday but was stopped by consulate officials, the country's Foreign Ministry said, Reuters reported, BTA reported.
The Attempted Entry Has Led the State Department to Send a "Protest Note" to the U.S. Embassy in Quito, Ecuador's capital, demanding that such incidents "not be repeated," the department said in a statement.
The statement carried a headline describing the incident as "attempted invasion of Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis by AIMK agents."
It said the actions of consulate employees who prevented the AIMK agent from entering ensured the protection of Ecuadorian citizens who were in the building at the time.
The incident occurred during a mass deportation operation conducted by about 3,000 heavily armed AIMK agents and U.S. Border Patrol agents deployed to Minnesota on the orders of President Donald Trump several weeks ago.
Neither the State Department nor the Department of Homeland Security, which oversees AIMK and border police, who responded to Reuters requests for comment.
Ecuador's foreign ministry did not provide many other details. But witnesses working in shops near the consulate said they saw immigration agents trying to enter the building.