Italian politicians and residents are criticizing plans for ICE agents to assist with security at the Winter Olympics, citing recent U.S. operations and concerns over human rights.
Italians are expressing concern over news that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will travel to Italy for the Winter Olympics to assist with security operations. The news has sparked anger among Italian politicians following the federal agency’s recent immigration operations in Minneapolis, which resulted in the deaths of two American citizens.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security told CNN that Homeland Security Investigations, a wing of ICE responsible for cross-border crime, will assist with security operations. “They don’t do immigration enforcement [operations] in a foreign country obviously.” Italy will remain in charge, Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin clarified in a statement.
The Winter Olympics are scheduled for Feb. 6–22 in northeast Italy, including the cities of Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo.
Continue Reading Article After Our Video
Recommended Fodor’s Video
U.S. Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are expected to attend the opening ceremony next month, and ICE agents will aid in their security. The agents will support the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service—which is leading the security effort—and help the “host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations.”
U.S. agencies routinely provide security support at international events, including the Olympics. However, there has been widespread outrage in Italy due to recent events involving ICE agents. In Minneapolis, federal agents have flooded the streets and violently cracked down on protests by residents using tear gas and pepper spray. Masked agents have been recorded dragging people forcefully from their homes, workplaces, and cars. Two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by ICE agents this month, resulting in nationwide backlash against the agency and the administration.
Images of the incidents have circulated internationally, fueling concern in Italy over the presence of U.S. federal agents. Tensions were further heightened this week when ICE agents threatened two Italian journalists from state broadcaster RAI. Additionally, President Trump’s claim to Greenland has further strained E.U.-U.S. relations.
Several politicians have urged Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to block ICE agents from entering the country.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala made clear that ICE agents are not welcome in the city. “This is a militia that kills,” he said in an interview with RTL Radio. “Can’t we just say no to Trump for once? We can take care of their security ourselves. We don’t need ICE.”
Alessandro Zan, a member of the European Parliament, wrote on X, “In Italy, we don’t want anyone who tramples on human rights and acts outside of any democratic control.”
Gli agenti della polizia privata di Trump arriveranno in Italia per le Olimpiadi di Milano-Cortina. Il compito? ‘Verificare e mitigare i rischi derivanti dalle organizzazioni criminali transnazionali’. Se questo è l’obiettivo, è paradossale affidarlo a chi per primo commette… pic.twitter.com/yMjgUU0C3P
— Alessandro Zan (@ZanAlessandro) January 27, 2026
The Interior Ministry, however, said in a statement that ICE’s investigative arm—not its operational arm—will be present in Milan. “It is important to reiterate that Homeland Security Investigation investigators will not be represented by operational personnel like those engaged in immigration controls in the US, but by representatives exclusively specialized in investigations.”
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani brushed off concerns, saying, “It’s not like the SS are coming.” The SS was the paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler responsible for the Holocaust and the murder of six million Jews.
“The problem isn’t that those with machine guns and their faces covered are coming. They’re officials from a specific unit. They’re coming because it’s the unit responsible for counter-terrorism,” he said.
ICE has multiple divisions, and recent events in Minnesota largely involved immigration enforcement operations. Homeland Security Investigations is a separate branch that frequently sends agents to international events. In Milan, HSI personnel will be stationed in a control room at the U.S. Consulate. HSI agents are also posted at embassies worldwide and will work behind the scenes during the Olympics, a source told The Associated Press.