ICE agents get security role at 2026 Winter Olympics sparking outrage after deadly shootings
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, whose city will host events at the Milano Cortina Games, slams ICE’s deployment and urges Italy to reject the US detail
A branch of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will help with security for the Winter Olympics in Italy, it confirmed on Tuesday, sparking anger and warnings they were not welcome.
Reports had been circulating for days that the agency embroiled in an often brutal immigration crackdown in the United States could be involved in US security measures for the February 6-22 Games in northern Italy.
In a statement overnight, ICE said: “At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) is supporting the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations.
“All security operations remain under Italian authority.”
It’s not known whether HSI has been involved in past Olympics, or whether this is a first.
According to the ICE website, HSI investigates global threats, investigating the illegal movement of people, goods, money, contraband, weapons and sensitive technology into, out of, and through the United States.