Milan mayor calls ICE "a militia that kills" as agents join Winter Olympics security

ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit will support U.S. security operations at the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics from Feb. 6-22, 2026. The U.S. Embassy in Italy confirmed HSI will help vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations.

Milan Mayor GSGiuseppe Sala called ICE a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips. He said the agency is not welcome in Milan and asked: Can we, for once, say no to Trump?

European Parliament member AZAlessandro Zan called ICE Trump's private police force and said its deployment to Italy is unacceptable. He wrote: In Italy, we don't want those who trample on human rights and act outside of any democratic control.

Italian Interior Minister MPMatteo Piantedosi said ICE will not operate on Italian territory and stated: It's not like the SS are about to arrive. He initially said he had no confirmation of ICE involvement.

Italian authorities initially denied the presence of ICE and then sought to downplay its role, suggesting agents would only provide security for the U.S. delegation. VP JVJD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will attend the Feb. 6 opening ceremony.

The controversy erupted after RAI state TV aired video of ICE agents threatening to break the glass on a news crew's vehicle in Minneapolis. The agency has dominated headlines for leading the Trump administration's immigration crackdown.

DHS stressed that ICE doesn't conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries. HSI officers are separate from the Enforcement and Removal Operations arm that carries out deportations.