News that a unit of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency will assist with American security operations at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Italy has sparked immediate and intense backlash from Italian politicians and citizens. The announcement has been met with outrage, protests, and petitions, as the agency has become synonymous with the Trump administration’s controversial and often brutal domestic immigration crackdown . Milan’s mayor has declared the agents “not welcome” in the host city.
The controversy erupted after sources confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), the transnational investigative arm of ICE, would support the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service during the Milan-Cortina Games. While U.S. officials stress the role is standard support for vetting criminal threats and that “all security operations remain under Italian authority,” the association with ICE has fueled fierce opposition. Opposition politicians have launched petitions demanding the government block the agents’ involvement.
Leading the condemnation is Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who is hosting the opening ceremony. In a fiery radio interview, he described ICE as “a militia that kills” and a militia that illegally enters people's homes. “It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt,” Sala stated, questioning why Italy could not refuse the Trump administration’s security arrangements. Alessandro Zan, a center-left Member of the European Parliament, called the prospect “unacceptable,” stating, “In Italy, we don’t want those who trample on human rights and act outside of any democratic control”.
The Italian government’s response has been mixed and evolving. Initially, some regional officials suggested the HSI agents would only provide security for U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. Following a meeting with the U.S. Ambassador, the Interior Ministry later clarified that the investigators would be stationed in a support role within a U.S. Consulate operations room in Milan and would not be operational personnel conducting street-level activities. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi asserted, “ICE as such will never operate in Italy,” attempting to draw a clear line between the investigative unit and the agency’s enforcement activities.
The strong reaction in Italy is deeply intertwined with recent violent events in the United States and a strained geopolitical relationship. Italian public broadcaster RAI recently aired a report from Minneapolis showing its news crew being threatened by ICE agents, bringing the agency’s tactics directly to Italian living rooms . The fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis this month have further cemented a negative international perception of ICE’s conduct. The controversy also underscores the broader diplomatic rift between the Trump administration and European allies, with critics accusing Italy’s government of subservience to Washington.
U.S. officials emphasize that HSI’s role, focused on cross-border crime like human smuggling, is routine for major international events and distinct from the deportation-focused Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) wing of ICE. However, under the Trump administration, the lines between HSI and ERO have reportedly blurred, with HSI agents increasingly involved in immigration operations. Despite assurances, the pervasive image of ICE as an agency engaged in harsh, militarized enforcement has dominated the political response in Italy, casting a shadow over security preparations for the global sporting event.