Department of Homeland Security officials placed officers on administrative leave following the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti, while an ICE agent’s attempted entry into the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis on Tuesday was blocked by consular staff, prompting Quito to deliver a formal note of protest to the US Embassy.

Ecuador characterised the incident as an attempted incursion, and consulate staff say their actions protected Ecuadorian nationals inside. The episode occurred amid a mass deportation operation involving some 3,000 ICE and Border Patrol agents deployed to Minnesota under presidential orders, a mobilisation that has strained community trust and diplomatic relations.

Separately, Representative Ilhan Omar was sprayed with an unknown substance at a town hall event, an assault that did not cause injury but heightened concerns about political violence during intensive immigration enforcement and underscored the need for oversight and proportionality in operations that affect civilian safety and consular protections.