The Trump administration has ignited widespread anger by revealing plans to deploy Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to the Winter Olympics, scheduled to be held in Milan later this year.
ICE has been at the center of numerous controversies recently, including the fatal shooting of intensive care nurse Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. These events have led to protests and demands for the removal of ICE agents from various cities. Nonetheless, amidst the backlash, Trump announced that the agency’s reach would be extended internationally.
A spokesperson from the US Department of Homeland Security confirmed to CNN that the Homeland Security Investigations division of ICE would take on a ‘security role’ at the games, specifying: “They don’t do immigration enforcement (operations) in a foreign country obviously.”
In response to the announcement, Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government is striving to manage the fallout across the Italian political spectrum.
The role of ICE at the Winter Olympics has been met with confusion, particularly after Attilio Fontana, president of Lombardy, indicated that ICE would aid in the security of US Vice Secretary JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio during the opening ceremony at Milan’s San Siro stadium on February 6.
Despite the uproar, it is customary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and domestic law enforcement agencies to support security efforts at major international events.
The DHS released a statement asserting that ‘all security operations at the Olympics are directed and managed exclusively by Italian authorities’.
Milan Mayor Beppe Sala told Italian radio: “It’s clear that they are not welcome in Milan, there’s no doubt about it. Can’t we just say no to Trump for once? We can take care of their security ourselves. We don’t need ICE.”
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized that the officers deployed in Milan would ‘not be those that are on the streets of Minneapolis’. He added, “I have been harder than anyone else in Italy on [the ICE raids] … but it’s not like the SS are coming.”
Furthermore, he assured that ICE would not be patrolling Italian streets, with only police officers collaborating with the Carabinieri military police and the Guardia di Finanza financial authority. Alessandro Zan, a member of the European Parliament for the Democratic party, condemned the presence of ICE agents.
He expressed on X: “In Italy, we don’t want those who trample on human rights and act outside of any democratic control.”
There is cross-party collaboration in Italy, with smaller opposition parties, the Green and Left Alliance (AVS) and Azione, initiating petitions to urge the Italian government and the Olympic organizing committee to block ICE agents from participating in security operations.
In an official statement on their website, ICE explained: “At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is supporting the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations. All security operations remain under Italian authority.”
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… https://t.co/ujkMw6dxFD
— Homeland Security (@DHSgov) January 27, 2026
The Department of Homeland Security posted on X, clarifying: “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.”
The US Embassy in Rome provided guidance to the Italian media, noting that it is standard for federal agencies to be involved at the Olympic Games. However, it remains unclear whether ICE has been involved previously. They reiterated that ICE’s role would be ‘strictly supportive – working with the Diplomatic Security Service and Italian authorities to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations’.
They confirmed that ICE would not engage in immigration enforcement activities outside of the US, as stated by US Homeland Security Department spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin.
Recently, there have been several fatalities in the US related to confrontations involving protestors and ICE officers. An ICE agent fatally shot Renee Nicole Good on January 7 in Minneapolis, sparking significant outrage. Following this, ICU nurse Alex Pretti was shot by US Border Patrol Agents on January 24. Additionally, two Italian journalists from public broadcaster Rai reported threats from ICE agents while attempting to cover the agency’s actions.
A Rai TV report revealed that an agent warned the crew that their car window would be smashed if they continued filming.