'Not Welcome,' Milan Mayor Reacts as US Plans to Send ICE Agents for Winter Olympics in Italy

The Olympic Winter Games Milano Cortina 2026 is set to take place from 6 to 22 February, hosted by Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo in northern Italy. However, the event is igniting diplomatic tensions ahead of the games because the US is planning to send its Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.

The news of ICE agents coming to the Olympics did not sit well with the Italians, who have strongly objected to the presence of US federal law enforcement officers at the games. The backlash prompted Milan's Mayor Giuseppe Sala to declare that ICE officials are not welcome in the city, particularly following the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis.

Mayor's Strong Opposition

'As an Italian, I would not want this private police force to come to Milan,' Mayor Sala said during an interview with the press. 'It is a police force that acts in total illegality. But in any case, illegality means entering the homes of citizens without any mandate so they are totally incompatible with our ways of managing security. I strongly hope they (ICE agents) don't cross the Italian borders.'

In a separate interview with RTL 102.5 radio station, the Mayor also said that ICE 'is a militia that kills,' so it is clear that they are not welcome in Milan. He said there is no doubt they are uninvited guests in the city and then asked, 'Can't we just say no to Trump for once?'

Italians' Petition to Ban ICE at the Olympics

The decision to bring ICE officers to the Winter Olympics in Italy next month has triggered outrage from the locals, especially after the latest shooting incident in Minneapolis. The anger expressed by Italians comes amid the growing criticism of the federal agents' tactical moves in the United States.

To protest and stop the arrival of immigration law enforcement officials, The Independent reported that thousands of Italians have signed petitions calling for the ban of ICE from the Olympics after the US immigration agency confirmed it would send a unit that will work alongside the US diplomatic security service to help protect Olympic officials and dignitaries.

The Role ICE Agents Are Supposed To Play

Reports citing US Embassy sources said federal law enforcement officers will be sent to Italy in a limited security support role, helping the US Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation counter potential threats posed by international criminal organisations.

'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,' the immigration agency explained in a statement issued on Tuesday.

According to BBC News, sources in Rome said many of the ICE agents set to be deployed for the Olympics have previously worked on security at earlier Games, indicating they were selected for their experience and familiarity with the role. Officials further emphasised that ICE's HSI agents will not conduct immigration enforcement activities whilst abroad.

Additionally, they will never exercise any command authority over Italian police or border control operations. Rather, their responsibilities are confined to support functions, similar to the diplomatic security roles US agencies have provided at previous major international events, including the Paris Olympics in 2024.