Rome: ICE confirmed on Tuesday that its Homeland Security Investigations unit would support US security operations linked to the Winter Olympics in Italy, following reports that sparked alarm across the country. The agency said its role would be limited to assisting the US Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and working with Italian authorities to mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations.
“All security operations remain under Italian authority,” an ICE spokesperson said, stressing that the agency would “obviously” not carry out immigration enforcement outside the United States.
The confirmation drew sharp criticism in Italy, particularly in Milan, where Mayor Beppe Sala publicly rejected the idea of ICE agents operating in the city. Sala added that ICE agents do not align with Italy’s democratic approach to public security.
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Initial reactions from Italy’s government were more muted. Interior Minister Matteo Pantedosi said foreign delegations could choose their own security arrangements and initially questioned the concern. However, as public outrage grew, fuelled by images from Minneapolis where federal agents were involved in a fatal shooting, Rome’s stance hardened.
Tensions escalated further after the fatal shooting of Italian national Alex Pretti in Minneapolis on Saturday, an incident involving federal agents that has drawn intense scrutiny in Italy. Two journalists from Italian public broadcaster Rai later reported being threatened by ICE officials while covering events in the US city.
Lombardy governor Attilio Fontana sought to defuse the situation, suggesting ICE agents would be deployed solely to protect senior US officials, including Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, during the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics.
Opposition figures were less conciliatory. Senator Barbara Floridia accused Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s government of silence and subservience to Washington, warning that continued inaction would deepen public mistrust.
On Monday, Interior Minister Pantedosi adopted a firmer tone, insisting that “ICE will certainly not operate on Italian national territory” and reaffirming that Olympic security would be guaranteed exclusively by the Italian state. He added that the US had not submitted any official list of foreign security personnel.
