ICE Presence At Milan Olympics Sparks Italian Outrage

News that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will be present at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy has sparked a wave of controversy, confusion, and political debate across both sides of the Atlantic. With the opening ceremony set for February 6 in Milan, the announcement has become a flashpoint for broader tensions between the U.S. under President Donald Trump and its European allies, especially Italy.

The ICE presence, first reported on January 27, 2026, involves agents from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a division of ICE that focuses on cross-border crimes such as human smuggling and trafficking in cultural artifacts. According to statements provided to the Associated Press and BBC, HSI agents will be stationed at a control room within the U.S. Consulate in Milan. Their role, officials stress, is strictly supportive—working alongside the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and Italian authorities to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations. They will not include personnel involved in immigration enforcement operations or be seen patrolling Italian streets.

Yet, the distinction between HSI’s supportive, investigative role and ICE’s more notorious enforcement arm, Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), was initially lost in translation. Italian media and the public conflated the two, inflamed by recent headlines involving ICE agents in the United States. In early January, ICE officers were involved in fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, events that triggered protests and drew international scrutiny. Italian outrage intensified after a RAI news crew was threatened by ICE agents while covering these incidents in Minneapolis. The incident aired on Italian television, showing an agent warning the journalists that their car window would be smashed if they continued filming.

Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala emerged as one of the most vocal critics of the ICE deployment. Speaking to RTL Radio 102 on January 27, Sala declared, “This is a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips. It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt.” He added, “I believe [ICE agents] shouldn’t come to Italy because they don’t guarantee they conform to our democratic way of ensuring security.”

Italy’s Interior Ministry, led by Matteo Piantedosi, moved quickly to clarify the situation. After meeting with U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, the ministry released a statement emphasizing that HSI agents have been present in Italy for years and that “all of the security operations in the territory remain as always the exclusive responsibility and direction of Italian authorities.” Piantedosi himself initially appeared unfazed by the news, telling the news agency ANSA, “I don’t see what the problem would be.” However, as public concern grew, he later maintained that “ICE will certainly not operate on Italian national territory” and that security is guaranteed by the Italian state.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also sought to cool tensions. Speaking to reporters during a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony, Tajani said, “It’s not like the [Nazi] SS are coming,” a pointed reference meant to downplay fears. Tajani clarified that the ICE agents would not be “like those people” involved in the Minneapolis shootings, nor would they be “those with machine guns and their faces covered.” Instead, he explained, “They are coming to collaborate in the operations rooms,” and “are not going to travel to the country to maintain public order in the streets.” Tajani further promised to meet with the U.S. ambassador to “clarify” the issue.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security echoed these reassurances, stating, “Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries. 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.” Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the department, told the BBC that HSI’s role would be “strictly supportive.”

Further distancing themselves from the controversy, the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee clarified that it works with the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service, the International Olympic Committee (IOC), and the host nation for security planning, “but not with U.S. domestic law enforcement or immigration agencies.” The IOC also underscored that “security is the responsibility of the authorities of the host country, who work closely with the participating delegations.”

Despite these explanations, the uproar in Italy has not subsided easily. Political opponents of right-wing Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, such as Five Star Senator Barbara Floridia, argued that the government’s initial silence on the issue amounted to “cowardice and subservience towards Donald Trump.” The controversy has become a lightning rod for criticism of Trump’s hardline immigration policies, which have strained relations with traditional U.S. allies in Europe. Both U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio—outspoken supporters of Trump’s immigration crackdown—will lead the American delegation to the Games, further fueling the debate.

Meanwhile, preparations for the Olympics continue at a breakneck pace. More than 6,000 Italian police and other agents will be deployed to secure what is being billed as the most spread out Games in Olympic history. The event will span seven towns and cities across northern Italy, from Milan to the Austrian border, with the opening ceremony taking place at Milan’s iconic San Siro Stadium and the Games running until February 22.

For years, HSI has distanced itself from ERO’s deportation operations, even going so far as to adopt new branding and email addresses to avoid confusion. However, under the Trump administration, HSI has worked more closely with ICE’s deportation officers, particularly on immigration fraud cases—an association that has complicated its reputation abroad. U.S. officials, speaking anonymously, noted that the general public likely wouldn’t even see or be aware of the HSI agents during the Olympics, as they would be working behind the scenes, mainly in offices or at the consulate, as in previous international events.

As the Olympic torch prepares to light up Milan, the controversy over ICE’s role serves as a stark reminder of how domestic policy decisions can reverberate far beyond national borders, shaping perceptions and diplomatic relations in unexpected ways. With Italian authorities firmly in control of security and U.S. officials insisting on a strictly supportive role for HSI, all eyes will be on how the Games unfold—and whether the spirit of international cooperation can overcome the shadows of recent discord.