A significant diplomatic controversy has emerged following the confirmation that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will participate in security operations for the upcoming Winter Olympics in Italy. The announcement has triggered vehement opposition from Italian political leaders and human rights advocates, who cite the agency’s controversial record on immigration enforcement.
ICE confirmed through an official statement that its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) branch would assist the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and Italian authorities by conducting risk assessments targeting transnational criminal organizations. The agency emphasized that all security operations would remain under Italian jurisdiction and clarified that its activities in Italy would be entirely separate from its domestic immigration enforcement operations conducted by its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) division.
The revelation has ignited strong reactions across Italy’s political spectrum. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala delivered a particularly scathing assessment, characterizing ICE as a ‘militia that kills’ and stating unequivocally that the organization was ‘not welcome’ in his city, which will host several Olympic events. The mayor’s comments included a direct challenge to U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration, asking ‘Can’t we just say no to Trump for once?’
Further condemnation came from Alessandro Zan, a European Parliament member representing Italy’s centre-left Democratic Party, who denounced the arrangement as ‘unacceptable,’ asserting that Italy should not welcome organizations that ‘trample on human rights and act outside of any democratic control.’
The controversy has been amplified by recent incidents involving ICE operations in the United States, particularly the deaths of two civilians during an immigration crackdown in Minneapolis. Italian authorities have attempted to clarify the scope of ICE involvement, with regional officials suggesting the agency’s role would be limited to providing security for U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the opening ceremony. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi asserted that ‘ICE, as such, will never operate in Italy,’ though this statement appears to contradict the agency’s confirmed participation.
The International Olympic Committee has deferred all inquiries regarding the security arrangements to the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, maintaining its distance from the growing diplomatic dispute.