Oooh, we tried to invade Ecuador today? 😬
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@ai6yr Oh, hadn’t heard that. Yeah, definitely not allowed, and consulate security staff are, depending on circumstances, permitted to use force to defend diplomatic facilities.
@ai6yr Also, outside of DC, where the Secret Service does it, external security for foreign diplomatic facilities is generally the responsibility of the local police department. Which means that if asked, the Minneapolis PD would be responsible for forcibly removing ICE.
@ai6yr The State Department can de-accredit a forign consulate or declare a diplomat persona non grata (thus removing diplomatic protection), but under treaties, this generally requires at least 48 hours notice.
@ai6yr All of this is governed by longstanding international treaties. By the way, it’s a myth that diplomatic properties are sovereign land of the occupant. Local laws apply, but law enforcement can’t enter uninvited (just like vampires). And accredited diplomats generally have immunity from arrest and prosecution, unless their government waives it.
@mattblaze I teach my students that an accredited mission is still the host nation’s sovereign territory, but there’s a metaphorical bubble over it with the host country’s jurisdiction evacuated from it.
@jqheywood in particular, if you run into an embassy and rob the receptionist, you are still in the US and subject to US law.
@ai6yr Also, some nerdy diplomatic terminology: the general term for an accredited diplomatic facility is “mission”.
An “embassy” is the mission occupied by the ambassador, the representative to the host government; generally located in the capital.
A ”consulate” is a mission that provides services to its own citizens and the public (visas, etc). There are often multiple consulates in larger countries.
There are also often specialized missions for things like trade and cultural exchange.
@ai6yr In the US, countries generally have two embassies and ambassadors: one to the US (in DC) and one to the UN (in NYC). But that’s a special case.
All these embassies and consulates and special missions are protected by diplomatic immunity, as are their diplomatic staff, vehicles, and residences.
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@mattblaze LOL this is certainly some boneheads who were "THERE ARE PEOPLE SPEAKING SPANISH IN THERE, AND BROWN, LET'S GO KIDNAP THEM"
@mattblaze @ai6yr They are totally protected! A perfect illustration of the sovereign nature of the diplomatic enclave are those smartly dressed Marines carrying loaded weapons at the entrance to US embassies overseas.