President Lula praised Federal Police director Andrei Rodrigues for revoking a US immigration agent's credentials, in response to the expulsion of a Brazilian delegate from the United States. The action followed the principle of reciprocity after the case involving former deputy Alexandre Ramagem. Lula expressed hope for dialogue to normalize relations.
The US government under Donald Trump ordered on Tuesday (21) the immediate departure of Federal Police delegate Marcelo Ivo de Carvalho, posted in Miami with ICE (immigration service). The US accused the Brazilian agent of trying to manipulate the immigration system in the arrest of Alexandre Ramagem in Orlando, Florida, on Monday (13). Ramagem, considered a fugitive in Brazil, was released two days later and sought asylum.
In retaliation, the Federal Police blocked a US agent's access to its databases and credentials in Brasília. Andrei Rodrigues justified the measure by the principle of reciprocity, stating it would last until US clarifications. "This North American police officer will no longer have access to some databases," Rodrigues told GloboNews.
On Wednesday (22), during the signing of a decree to hire 1,000 new federal police officers at Palácio da Alvorada, Lula congratulated Rodrigues. "Congratulations on your position regarding the American delegate, establishing reciprocity. That is, what they did to us, we will do to them, hoping they are willing to talk and things return to normal," the president declared, alongside Justice Minister Wellington Lima e Silva.
Itamaraty criticized the US action for not observing "good diplomatic practice" or prior dialogue, per the bilateral memorandum. The ministry verbally informed the US embassy of the reciprocity, noting over 200 years of relations between the countries. Lula had already mentioned possible retaliation in Hannover, Germany, the day before.
