Italian officials voice outrage at the presence of U.S. ICE agents at the 2026 Olympics
A growing number of Italian politicians are pushing back against a plan for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to help provide security at the Milan Winter Olympics.
U.S. Homeland Security officials have provided assistance at past Olympic Games, but critics including Milan’s mayor say after the violence in Minneapolis, ICE agents are no longer welcome.
“This is a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips,” Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala told local media. “It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt.”
It’s common for U.S. law enforcement and intelligence agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, to play a role at big international events like the Olympics.
In a statement to NPR, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit will assist Italian authorities and other U.S. federal agencies working at the Winter Games.
“Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries,” McLaughlin said. “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. All security operations remain under Italian authority.”
Speaking with Italian journalists, Italy’s interior minister, Matteo Piantedosi, said it’s not yet clear what U.S. security personnel will be at the Milan Cortina Games, but he stressed that “ICE will not operate on Italian territory.”
“It’s not like the SS are about to arrive.” – Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani, speaking with L’Espresso
Italy’s foreign minister Antonio Tajani, meanwhile, scrambled to contain the controversy, saying that the ICE agents operating in Italy are not comparable to immigration enforcement squads. “It’s not like these are the [ICE] people on the streets of Minneapolis,” Tajani told the Italian magazine L’Espresso, adding, “It’s not like the SS are about to arrive.”
Those reassurances haven’t satisfied many Italian politicians. Posting on X, former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte pointed to “street violence and killings” in the U.S. linked to ICE. He urged Italy’s government to block any role for ICE agents. “We cannot allow this,” Conte wrote.
The opening ceremonies for the Milan Games are a week from Friday, with Vice President Vance and other U.S. officials expected to attend.
These Olympics open at a moment when tensions between the Trump administration and European allies are running high over a range of issues, from tariffs and Greenland to the future of NATO and the defense of Ukraine.
NPR correspondent Ruth Sherlock in Rome contributed to this report.
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