US to send ICE agents to Winter Olympics, prompting Italian anger

The United States has confirmed that agents from its immigration enforcement apparatus will provide limited security support during the Winter Olympics in Italy, a move that has sparked political debate but also prompted reassurances from both Washington and Rome about the scope of the deployment.

US officials said a branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will assist American security operations during the Games, which begin on 6 February in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo. The confirmation followed reports that triggered concern and anger among some Italian politicians and local leaders, particularly in Milan.

Milan Mayor Beppe Sala criticised the plan, describing ICE as “a militia that kills” and saying the agency’s presence would not be welcome in the city. His comments reflected broader unease in Italy, where ICE has come under international scrutiny following a recent fatal shooting involving federal agents in Minneapolis.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani moved quickly to calm the controversy, stressing that the deployment should not be exaggerated or misunderstood. Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, he said: “It’s not like the SS are coming,” underlining that comparisons with historical atrocities were inappropriate. The ceremony was attended by Holocaust survivors, adding symbolic weight to his call for restraint and perspective.

US and Italian authorities have both emphasised that Olympic security will remain firmly under Italian control. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said all security operations at the Games would be “directed and managed exclusively by Italian authorities”, with American personnel playing only a supporting role.

Tajani clarified that no ICE agents would patrol Italian streets during the Olympics. Instead, security on the ground will be handled by Italian police forces, including the Carabinieri military police and the Guardia di Finanza financial authority. Italy’s interior ministry later confirmed that the United States will operate an internal coordination and operations room at its consulate in Milan, where relevant US agencies will work behind the scenes throughout the Games.

US officials explained that the involvement of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the investigative arm of ICE, would be “strictly supportive”. Their task will be to work alongside the US Diplomatic Security Service and Italian counterparts to help vet potential threats and mitigate risks linked to transnational criminal organisations.

American embassy sources in Rome noted that US federal agencies have assisted with security at previous Olympic Games, describing the arrangement as a well-established form of international cooperation. While it remains unclear whether ICE itself played a role at past Games, officials said the current plan follows the same principles of coordination, information-sharing and respect for host-nation authority.