The announcement that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel will help protect American delegations at next month's Winter Olympics in Italy has ignited a significant political controversy within the country. The decision comes amid intense scrutiny of ICE and Border Patrol agents following two fatal shootings of US citizens in Minnesota this month, incidents tied to enforcement under former President Donald Trump's immigration policies.
Security Role and Official Statements
The Department of Homeland Security confirmed in a social media post that ICE's Homeland Security Investigations division will support the US State Department's Diplomatic Security Service during the February 6-22 Milan Cortina Olympics. According to the statement, the agents' primary function will be "to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations", with all security operations remaining under Italian authority.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin emphasised that "ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries", seeking to clarify the scope of their involvement. Jason Houser, former ICE chief of staff under President Joe Biden, noted that ICE has historically participated in major sporting events, both domestically and internationally, as part of collaborations targeting human trafficking and drug trafficking.
Italian Political Backlash
Despite these assurances, the deployment has faced vehement opposition from Italian politicians across the spectrum. Maurizio Lupi, leader of a small centrist party within Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's governing coalition, told la Repubblica newspaper that the move seemed "sheer idiocy" to him.
Giuseppe Sala, the left-leaning mayor of Milan—one of the Olympic host cities—delivered particularly sharp criticism, labelling ICE "a militia that kills". In a radio interview, Sala stated unequivocally, "It's clear that they're not welcome in Milan, there's no doubt about it."
Government Response and Diplomatic Efforts
The Italian government has moved to calm the growing protests. The interior ministry issued a statement clarifying that ICE personnel would operate exclusively from US diplomatic offices, such as the Milan consulate, and would not be "on the ground" enforcing public order.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi confirmed he had met with US Ambassador Tilman Fertitta and would address parliament on February 4 regarding the matter. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani urged for a measured perspective, telling reporters at a Holocaust memorial event, "We're not talking about the (ICE people) who were out on the streets of Minneapolis... It's not as if the (Nazi) SS are arriving."
Opposition party Italia Viva, led by former prime minister Matteo Renzi, argued that agents affiliated with ICE do not align with Italian values and should be denied entry to the country. This political storm highlights the delicate balance between international security cooperation and domestic political sensitivities as Italy prepares to host the global sporting event.
