The MeidasTouch Podcast

Episode Title: All Hell Breaks Loose as Trump’s ICE Invades Consulate!!
Date: January 28, 2026
Hosts: Ben, Brett, and Jordy Meiselas
Special Contributor for Episode: Jordan Chariton (on-the-ground reporting)

Overview

This episode of the MeidasTouch Podcast centers on a dramatic and alarming incident involving Donald Trump-era ICE agents attempting to force their way into the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis—a serious breach of international law. The Meiselas brothers, with reporting from Jordan Chariton and footage from Status Coup journalists, provide firsthand and exclusive coverage of the event, as well as the escalating human rights abuses occurring in ICE detention centers under the current administration. The episode highlights the international fallout, the horrifying conditions in immigration detention, and the increasing resistance from both local officials and regular citizens.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Trump’s ICE Invades Ecuadorian Consulate in Minneapolis

• [01:32] Jordan Chariton breaks the news: ICE agents attempted a forced entry into the Ecuadorian consulate in Minneapolis, violating the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations (1963).
• Chariton calls the agents "Trump’s ICE Gestapo" and describes the event as "a massive violation of international law."
• The consulate staff successfully prevented entry and protected those inside.
• Ecuador has lodged a formal protest; the U.S. faces condemnation from the international community.

Quote:

"You cannot just go in and invade or break into or try to access a consulate... Unless you've been given the right of entry, which these Trump regime ICE Gestapo did not have."
– Jordan Chariton ([01:32])

2. Shocking Footage from Inside ICE Detention Centers

• [04:40] Chariton presents leaked footage from the Baltimore, Maryland detention center: "50 people crammed into a cell with no beds or bathrooms."
• [06:31] Another segment details attorneys and lawmakers being denied access to the Dilley Detention Center in Texas, with audio of imprisoned migrants’ screams.
• Descriptions of migrants "dressed like they're in the Squid Games," and conditions compared to "1930s Germany."

Quote:

"You could quite literally hear the screams and the crying for help of the people inside the detention center... It is so ghoulish looking."
– Jordan Chariton ([04:40])

3. Violence Against Journalists and Protesters

• [07:23] - [13:30] Status Coup journalist Tina Berg is video-documented being pushed to the ground and assaulted with gas by Border Patrol while covering protests in Minneapolis on January 25.
• Border Patrol agents are shown firing "less lethal munitions" at reporters—blunt, potentially lethal force.
• Protesters, legal observers, and journalists face open hostility and threats from federal agents.

Memorable Exchange:

"If I raise my voice, you'll erase my voice."
– Legal Observer, quoting ICE agent dialogue, with incredulity ([16:09])

4. International Fallout and Federal Overreach

• [07:23] Ecuador’s official statement is read on-air, confirming the consulate incident and their immediate diplomatic protest.
• [13:58] Formation of a coalition of local prosecutors to coordinate legal resistance against unconstitutional ICE and Border Patrol practices, including warrantless detentions and entries.

5. Public Resistance and Humanizing Protesters

• [15:50] Peaceful protestors gather outside Minneapolis hotels where ICE agents are residing; ICE agents respond with middle fingers and crude gestures (exposing themselves—not shown on screen).
• [16:55] A protester dressed as a walrus explains on camera how the political situation compelled him to become active, despite his privileged, apolitical background. He emphasizes empathy and community action.

Quote:

"I was just a nerdy gamer guy that would like to go back to just playing video games with friends. But until we get ICE out of Minnesota and hopefully abolished, I'm going to continue fighting because this is ridiculous."
– Minneapolis ICE Protester ([16:55])

6. Calls for Political Action: Defund ICE

• [17:45] Congressman Ro Khanna announces plans to introduce a bill to defund ICE.
• Protesters express impatience and call for faster action, highlighting governmental inertia and Trump’s disregard for legal norms.

Quote:

"The faster we can shut ICE down with the legal processes, I think the faster we can rebuild. And I’m hoping for that track for our government here because right now we’re veering off the rails."
– Minneapolis ICE Protester ([17:56])

Notable Quotes & Moments (with Timestamps)

• "This is a massive violation of international law... Trump’s ICE Gestapo were out in Minneapolis hunting for Ecuadorians to try to kidnap and send to concentration camps."
  – Jordan Chariton ([01:32])

• "Here you'll see children and women chanting let us out at the Dilley concentration camp... This looks like a scene right out of 1930s Germany."
  – Jordan Chariton ([06:31])

• "You raise your voice, I raise your voice. If I raise my voice, you'll erase my voice. Exactly. Yeah. Yeah. Are you serious?"
  – ICE Agent to Legal Observer ([16:09])

• "Empathy needs to win over those people on the fence, where it's not affecting them now. And we need to do something altogether."
  – Minneapolis ICE Protester ([16:55])

• "Stop worrying about who's going to vote for them. Stop worrying about their constituents... We need to see action and passion from our leaders."
  – Minneapolis ICE Protester ([17:56])

Timestamps for Major Segments

• [01:32] – Report of ICE invading Ecuadorian consulate
• [04:40] – Leaked footage of ICE concentration camps (Baltimore & Dilley, TX)
• [07:23] – Ecuador’s official statement and escalation
• [11:21] – Status Coup journalist assaulted by Border Patrol
• [13:58] – Local prosecutors coordinate against ICE/Border Patrol abuses
• [15:50] – ICE agents taunt protesters, escalate conflict
• [16:55] – Protesters reflect on new activism and calls for action
• [17:45] – Congressman Ro Khanna to introduce bill to defund ICE

Conclusion

The episode provides a blistering, emotional account of the crisis unfolding in Minneapolis and across American detention centers, connecting personal stories, international law, and aggressive protest with a call for decisive political action. The Meidas brothers and their on-the-ground partners highlight the power of collective organizing while urging listeners not to look away from the urgent fight for democracy and human rights.