A complaint has been filed by Ecuador, whose consular staff prevented the agent from entering.
Watch LiveBritish Broadcasting CorporationHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesHomeNewsIsrael-Gaza WarWar in UkraineUS & CanadaUKUK PoliticsEnglandN. IrelandN. Ireland PoliticsScotlandScotland PoliticsWalesWales PoliticsAfricaAsiaChinaIndiaAustraliaEuropeLatin AmericaMiddle EastIn PicturesBBC InDepthBBC VerifySportBusinessWorld of BusinessTechnology of BusinessNYSE Opening BellInnovationWatch DocumentariesTechnologyScienceArtificial IntelligenceAI v the MindHealthWatch DocumentariesCultureWatch DocumentariesFilm & TVMusicArt & DesignStyleBooksEntertainment NewsArtsWatch DocumentariesArts in MotionTravelWatch DocumentariesDestinationsAfricaAntarcticaAsiaAustralia and PacificCaribbean & BermudaCentral AmericaEuropeMiddle EastNorth AmericaSouth AmericaWorld’s TableCulture & ExperiencesAdventuresThe SpeciaListEarthWatch DocumentariesNatural WondersWeather & ScienceClimate SolutionsSustainable BusinessGreen LivingAudioPodcast CategoriesRadioAudio FAQsVideoWatch DocumentariesBBC MaestroDiscover the WorldLiveLive NewsLive SportDocumentariesHomeNewsSportBusinessInnovationHealthCultureArtsTravelEarthAudioVideoLiveDocumentariesWeatherNewslettersWatch LiveEcuador says ICE agent attempted to enter its Minneapolis consulate1 hour agoShareSaveVanessa BuschschlüterLatin America editor, BBC News OnlineShareSavePhoto by Jim Watson - Pool/Getty ImagesICE agents are among the 3,000 officers deployed to the region as part of a crackdown on immigrantsThe government of Ecuador has condemned what it described as an attempt by a US federal immigration agent to enter the Ecuadorean consulate in Minneapolis.
The agent was prevented from gaining access by consular officials, who acted "to guarantee the protection of the Ecuadoreans who were inside the consulate at the time", a statement by Ecuador's foreign ministry said.
Ecuador, whose president is an ally of Trump, has filed an official complaint.
The incident comes at a time of high tension in the US city, just days after intensive care nurse Alex Pretti was shot dead by border agents during protests against the Trump administration's immigration crackdown in Minneapolis.
Ecuador's foreign ministry said in a statement that an agent of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) had "tried to enter the premises of the consulate" at 11:00 local time (17:00 GMT) on Tuesday.
Under the 1963 Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, consular premises are considered "inviolable".
According to the Convention, the authorities of the country where the consulate is located "shall not enter" the parts of the consulate used for work "except with the consent of the head of the consular post".
Ecuador said that its officials had not consented to ICE entering the consulate.
While the Vienna Convention goes on to say that consent may be assumed in certain cases, they are limited to incidents where "prompt protective action" is required, such as in the case of a fire or some other disaster.
In a video shared by Ecuadorean media, which has not been independently verified by the BBC, a consular official can be seen rushing to the entrance door and telling an ICE agent "this is the consulate, you're not allowed in here".
The agent tells the official that "if you touch me, I will grab you".
The consular official then states again that "
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