Outrage is intensifying across Italy over the United States’ plan to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to support security at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, due from 6 to 22 February.
Politicians have urged Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to block their entry, pointing to recent fatal shootings by ICE officers during immigration crackdowns in Minneapolis under President Donald Trump.
Weekend media coverage triggered petitions and protests in Milan, raising alarms about the agency’s aggressive tactics against U.S. citizens amid White House-led raids.
Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte demanded firm boundaries. “After street violence and murders in the US… We cannot allow this,” he posted on X on Tuesday. “Enough with the bowing,” he added.
Italy’s security setup features 6,000 officers, drones, no-fly zones, and a 24/7 cyber unit. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi met U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta on Tuesday, stressing Italian control and ICE’s restricted role.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani downplayed fears, insisting the agents differ from U.S. street enforcers. Piantedosi confirmed ICE “will never operate in Italy” as mere liaisons.
U.S. officials highlight ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) branch, which targets threats like trafficking and terrorism—a standard role at past Olympics. A DHS spokesperson told CNN it fills “a security role” abroad without immigration enforcement. “They don’t do immigration enforcement (operations) in a foreign country obviously,” the spokesperson added.
“At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations,” DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin stated. “All security operations remain under Italian authority,” she added.
The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee clarified no ties to ICE for Games planning.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala rejected their involvement. “They’re not welcome in Milan,” he told local radio.
“This is a militia that kills,” Sala said on RTL 102.5 Tuesday. “Could we ever say ‘No’ to Trump? This isn’t about severing relations or creating a diplomatic incident, but could we say ‘No?’”
“I believe they shouldn’t come to Italy because they don’t guarantee they’re aligned with our democratic security management methods,” he added.
U.S. expats in Milan expressed shock anonymously. “I’m so confused, why on earth would ICE agents come to Italy? They don’t have jurisdiction here,” one said Tuesday.