The announcement, reported by AFP, that the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) service will undertake a controversial security role at the Winter Olympics in Italy next month has triggered an significant outcry in the host country.
ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit will collaborate with Italian authorities to “vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations” during the Milano Cortina Games on February 6-22, AFP reported on Tuesday, quoting an agency statement. All security operations will remain under Italian command, and no immigration enforcement would be conducted abroad, it added.
The backlash stems from recent high-profile incidents involving ICE in the US, including the killings of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, during interactions with its agents in Minneapolis. Thousands of ICE agents have been deployed in various US cities to carry out a crackdown on illegal immigration.
Italian authorities initially denied the plans and sought to downplay the role, suggesting ICE would help only with security for the US delegation. US Vice President J.D. Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are attending the Olympic Opening Ceremony in Milan on February 6.
The planned deployment has drawn fierce condemnation from Italian politicians. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala described ICE agents as “a militia” that is “not welcome in Milan,” as cited by ANSA on Tuesday. The mayor’s stance aligns with criticism from Italian opposition parties, which have submitted parliamentary questions criticizing the possible involvement of ICE agents and accusing them of “disproportionate use of force,” according to Italian news agency AGI.
An online petition calling for ICE agents to be banned from the Milano Cortina Olympics had surpassed 14,600 signatures as of Tuesday morning.
The 25th Winter Olympics will take place in the Alpine cities of Milan and Cortina with the presence of athletes from 93 countries, including Russia.