• Ecuador's consulate staff prevented an ICE agent from entering their premises in Minneapolis.
• The Ecuadorian government filed a protest letter to the U.S. Embassy.
• The incident occurred amid heightened tensions due to recent immigration enforcement operations.

The government of Ecuador has condemned an attempted entry by a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agent into its consulate in Minneapolis, asserting that staff members successfully blocked the agent to ensure the safety of Ecuadorians present at the time. This incident prompted Ecuador to send a note of protest to the U.S. Embassy in Quito, demanding that similar incidents not recur, according to Channel News Asia, Reuters, and BBC.

The incident occurred during a significantly tense period in Minneapolis, as the police have been involved in high-profile shootings during recent protests against the Trump administration's immigration policies. It was reported that the attempted incursion was noticed by consulate employees who reaffirmed the sovereignty protections afforded under international law, specifically the *Vienna Convention on Consular Relations*, which prevents unauthorized entry of foreign law enforcement into consular premises. The Ecuadorian Foreign Ministry underscored that an ICE agent attempted to access the consulate around 11:00 AM local time, according to Channel News Asia, Reuters, and BBC.

The attempted entry by ICE coincides with a wide-ranging immigration enforcement operation called "Operation Metro Surge" involving thousands of agents deployed across Minnesota. This operation has sparked heightened scrutiny and a wave of protests, especially following recent fatal shootings of civilians by border agents. Witnesses reported seeing the agents pursuing individuals into the consulate, highlighting the tense atmosphere surrounding immigration enforcement operations at the time, according to Channel News Asia, Reuters, and BBC.