Italian Leaders Condemn ICE Homeland Security Investigations Role at Milan Olympics Despite U.S. Assurances
U.S. Embassy officials say ICE agents—specifically Homeland Security Investigations—are expected to support U.S. diplomatic security details at the 2026 Milan‑Cortina Winter Olympics and will not carry out immigration enforcement, a security-assistance role HSI has filled at past Games. The plan has provoked strong pushback from Italian leaders — Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala declared ICE "not welcome," while Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi and other officials stressed uncertainty about the composition of U.S. security teams and insisted ICE will not operate on Italian territory, even as responses from national figures varied in tone.
📌 Key Facts
- U.S. Embassy officials in Rome told the Associated Press that ICE agents, specifically Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), will support security for U.S. diplomatic details at the Milan‑Cortina 2026 Olympics and will not conduct immigration‑enforcement operations.
- U.S. officials and reports noted that HSI and other Department of Homeland Security components have supported Olympic security for U.S. diplomats at prior Games, and the embassy portrayed the planned role as consistent with that past practice.
- Italy’s Interior Ministry and Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the U.S. has not formally detailed the composition of its security team; Piantedosi also told reporters he had no specific information and stated that "ICE will not operate on Italian territory," with the ministry adding there are no current indications ICE will act as escorts for the American delegation.
- Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala strongly condemned the idea of ICE agents in the city, saying ICE agents are "not welcome in Milan" and denouncing the agency with language likening it to a violent militia.
- Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte called on the government to block any role for ICE at the Games, citing alleged links to "street violence and killings" in the United States.
- Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani sought to downplay the dispute, saying the ICE presence is not comparable to U.S. domestic street operations and rejecting alarmist comparisons (he said, in effect, "it's not like the SS are about to arrive").
- The controversy over an ICE role at the Milan Olympics is unfolding against broader U.S.–Europe tensions under President Trump involving issues such as tariffs, Greenland, NATO and Ukraine as the Games approach.
📰 Source Timeline (4)
Follow how coverage of this story developed over time
January 27, 2026
10:09 PM
Italian officials voice outrage at the presence of U.S. ICE agents at the 2026 Olympics
New information:
- Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala called ICE 'a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips' and said ICE agents are 'not welcome in Milan.'
- Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told reporters that 'ICE will not operate on Italian territory,' while acknowledging it is not yet clear which U.S. security personnel will be present.
- Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani tried to downplay the controversy by insisting the ICE presence is not comparable to Minneapolis street operations and saying, 'It's not like the SS are about to arrive.'
- Former Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte posted on X citing 'street violence and killings' linked to ICE in the U.S. and urged Italy’s government to block any role for ICE agents at the Games.
- The piece explicitly ties the controversy to heightened U.S.–Europe tensions under Trump over tariffs, Greenland, NATO and Ukraine as the Milan Olympics approach.
3:10 PM
AP report: ICE agents will help with security at Milan Cortina Olympics
New information:
- U.S. Embassy in Rome officials explicitly confirm that ICE agents, specifically its Homeland Security Investigations arm, will support security for U.S. diplomatic details at the Milan‑Cortina Winter Games.
- Embassy officials state ICE will not conduct immigration enforcement operations at the Olympics, framing the role as consistent with past use of HSI and other DHS components at prior Games.
- Italian Interior Ministry reiterates that the U.S. has not formally detailed the composition of its security team but says there are no current indications ICE will act as escorts for the American delegation.
2:25 PM
ICE officials to play security role at Milan Cortina Olympics: report
New information:
- U.S. Embassy officials in Italy told the Associated Press that ICE agents will support U.S. diplomatic security details at the Milan Cortina Olympics and will not conduct immigration enforcement operations.
- Officials noted that Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), ICE’s investigative arm, has supported Olympic security for U.S. diplomats in past Games.
- Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said he had no specific information about ICE’s presence but did not see a problem if they participate in security.