Word that a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) unit would join the security detail for the U.S. delegation during the has sparked worry and confusion in Italy, where residents have voiced outrage over the inclusion of an agency that has made headlines for leading the Trump .
Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), an ICE division focused on cross-border criminal activity, often dispatches its officers to international events such as the to aid with security. HSI personnel are distinct from ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) branch—operating at the —and there was no indication ERO officers would be sent to Italy.
This difference, however, wasn’t immediately apparent to local media outlets on Tuesday morning.
Italy reacts to US security deployment
The response from some Italians reflects both a growing negative view overseas of the administration’s immigration strategies and the U.S. under President Donald Trump and its global alliances.
Vague reports about ICE being deployed in some capacity emerged over the weekend, leading to a series of online petitions gaining support from people opposed to ICE’s presence at the Games. The petitions followed a Sunday RAI news segment showing an Italian crew being threatened by ICE agents in Minneapolis. Trump’s immigration crackdown has intensified in Minneapolis in recent weeks, resulting in fatal shootings at the hands of federal immigration officers.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala stated that ICE is not welcome in his city, which will host the Feb. 6 opening ceremony—attended by U.S. Vice President JD Vance—and most ice sports events.
“This is a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, . It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt,” Sala told RTL Radio 102.
ICE units breakdown
Immigration and Customs Enforcement is divided into several branches. Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) is the division tasked with monitoring, arresting, and removing individuals who no longer have the right to remain in the U.S. These officers are most directly responsible for carrying out Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
Another ICE branch is Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). HSI agents investigate activities with a cross-border link—from human smuggling to fentanyl trafficking to the theft of cultural artifacts. They are posted in embassies worldwide to support their work and build relationships with local law enforcement.
Officials have emphasized that the ICE agents sent to Italy for the Games will have a role distinct from their involvement in U.S. immigration enforcement actions.
“Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries,″ the Department of Homeland Security said in a Tuesday statement.
“At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation to vet and reduce risks from transnational criminal organizations. All security operations remain under Italian authority.”
A U.S. official, speaking anonymously to discuss security protocols, noted that the general public would probably not see or even know about HSI agents present during the Olympics. The official said HSI personnel would work behind the scenes, mainly in offices or the U.S. Consulate in Milan—similar to their role in past international events.
For years, HSI kept its distance from deportation or immigration enforcement matters. At one point, the agency adopted new branding and email addresses to differentiate itself, as agents in regions with strong opposition to immigration enforcement found their ICE.gov emails went unanswered.
Under the Trump administration, though, HSI agents have collaborated more closely with ICE’s other branch—the deportation officers—to place greater emphasis on immigration-related matters. They’ve been with deportation officers and increased their focus on immigration fraud cases.
Reaction underscores fraught ties
The International Olympic Committee said in a statement that security “is the responsibility of the authorities of the host country, who work closely with the participating delegations.”
Italy’s response highlights the growing strain in relations between Trump and the U.S.’s traditional European allies, which have been tested during the president’s second term due to his threats to annex Greenland.
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters Tuesday that the ICE agents deployed for the Games will not be “those with machine guns and faces covered. They will be functionaries who belong to the anti-terrorism department.″
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi held a late-morning meeting in his office with U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, which was described as cordial. As Italy’s top law enforcement official, Piantedosi is responsible for Games security, which is coordinated with regional prefects.
When asked about the potential deployment over the weekend, he gave a diplomatic shrug: “I don’t see what the problem would be,″ news agency ANSA quoted him as saying.
Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi told the Associated Press that the municipal government defers to the prefecture and Italian law enforcement regarding delegation security—which he assumes complies with Italian guidelines.
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Barry reported from Milan. Associated Press writers Rebecca Santana and Matthew Lee contributed from Washington, and Graham Dunbar from Crans-Montana, Switzerland.