U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will support diplomatic security at the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics, embassy sources said. Officials emphasized ICE will not carry out immigration-enforcement operations during the Games. Milan’s mayor strongly criticized the decision, while Italian authorities issued cautious, sometimes conflicting responses. The move follows RAI footage of ICE agents in Minneapolis amid protests where federal officers recently shot and killed two demonstrators.
ICE Agents To Support Diplomatic Security At Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics
FILE - This photo shows the snowboarding and freestyle skiing events which will take place during the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Olympics in Livigno, Italy, Saturday, Dec. 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Gabriele Facciotti, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Milan — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will serve in a security capacity during the Milan–Cortina 2026 Winter Games, embassy sources in Rome told local media. The Associated Press independently confirmed the information with two U.S. Embassy officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
Details
According to embassy sources, federal ICE personnel have been assigned to support diplomatic security details for U.S. officials attending the Feb. 6–22 Games. Officials stressed that ICE agents will not be conducting immigration-enforcement operations while deployed for the Olympics.
Protesters demonstrate against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Renee Good, who was fatally shot by an ICE officer last week, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in Minneapolis. (AP Photo/Jen Golbeck)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
Sources noted that a range of U.S. federal agencies — including ICE’s investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) — have assisted with protection of American diplomats at previous Olympic Games.
Local And Italian Reaction
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala publicly objected to the presence of ICE agents in the city, which will host most ice events. He criticized the agency on RTL Radio 102, saying it was unwelcome in Milan.
FILE - Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi waits for U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, at the Viminale Interior Ministry headquarters, Friday, May 23, 2025, in Rome. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon, Pool, File)(ASSOCIATED PRESS)
"This is a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips. It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt." — Giuseppe Sala
Italian authorities have issued cautious and sometimes conflicting comments. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said he had not received formal confirmation of an ICE deployment but added he did not see why it should be a problem. Italy's Interior Ministry later reiterated that the U.S. had not publicly disclosed the exact makeup of its security detail and said there were, "at the moment," no indications that ICE would act as an escort specifically for the U.S. delegation.
U.S. Delegation And Context
The U.S. delegation attending the Feb. 6 opening ceremony will be led by Vice President J.D. Vance and will include second lady Usha Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, the White House announced earlier this month.
Controversy And Protests
The announcement comes after RAI state television aired footage showing ICE agents threatening to break the glass of a RAI vehicle while its crew was reporting in Minneapolis. That city has seen large demonstrations in response to recent federal operations; in the past three weeks, federal officers in Minneapolis have shot and killed two protesters who were demonstrating against deportations and immigration enforcement.
Sources: The deployment was confirmed to The Associated Press by two U.S. Embassy officials who were not authorized to speak publicly.
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