February 6, 2026
Vance booed at Olympics as thousands protest ICE presence
Italian protests reject U.S. immigration enforcement at Milan Games
🌍Foreign Policy🛂Immigration
Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance attended the Feb. 6, 2026 Winter Olympics opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro Stadium. The crowd of 60,000 people cheered when Team USA entered during the Parade of Nations. When cameras showed the Vances on the stadium screens waving American flags, the crowd booed, whistled, and jeered. CBC commentator Adrienne Arsenault said those are a lot of boos for him.
Hundreds of protesters rallied in Milan on Feb. 6, 2026 hours before the opening ceremony. Students carried banners reading ICE should be in my drinks, not my city. Demonstrators blew plastic whistles that have become symbols of anti-ICE rallies in the United States. They demanded Vance and Secretary of State 
Marco Rubio leave Italy.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala spoke on RTL 102.5 radio before the Games. He said ICE is a militia that kills and enters people's homes signing their own warrants. He said it's clear they are not welcome in Milan. He asked for just once could we say no to Trump. Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said ICE agents would only have an advisory role and wouldn't operate on Italian territory.
Thousands protested in Milan on Jan. 31, Feb. 6, and Feb. 7, 2026. The Jan. 31 protest took place in Piazza XXV Aprile, a square named for Italy's April 25, 1945 liberation from Nazi fascism. Protesters included members of the Democratic Party, CGIL trade union, and ANPI organizations that protect the memory of Italy's partisan resistance during World War II.
Italian police deployed 6,000 heavily-armed officers to secure the Games. Police placed Milan on lockdown with snipers on rooftops and no-fly zones across the city. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni's cabinet approved a security decree on Feb. 5 allowing police to jail people for 12 hours on suspicion they might engage in violent protest. On Feb. 7, police fired tear gas and water cannons at protesters near the Olympic Village.
The protests referenced ICE enforcement in Minneapolis that killed two U.S. citizens in January 2026. Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti died during immigration enforcement operations. Protester Katie Legare, a Minnesotan studying in Europe, said she thought this was a good opportunity to show that the rest of the world is not okay with what's happening in Minnesota.
IOC President Kirsty Coventry asked at a Feb. 5 news conference that spectators be respectful when American officials are introduced. She hoped the opening ceremony would be an opportunity to be respectful of each other. Despite this request, the crowd booed Vance. Unlike most other national leaders during the Parade of Nations, Vance's name was not announced by the stadium announcer.
Former Vice President Kamala Harris trolled Vance after the booing incident. Her HQ account on social media posted a video of Vance being booed with the caption everyone booed anyway. The account quoted a classic Trump phrase mocking the IOC's request to be nice to Vance.
Vance met with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on Feb. 6, 2026. His office said they discussed the strength of bilateral relations, the Olympics, and mutual efforts to improve the business and investment climate. After Milan, Vance traveled to Armenia on Feb. 9 for the first-ever visit by a sitting U.S. president or vice president to that country.
🌍Foreign Policy🛂Immigration
People, bills, and sources
JD Vance
Vice President of the United States
Giuseppe Sala
Mayor of Milan
Giorgia Meloni
Prime Minister of Italy
Matteo Piantedosi
Italian Interior Minister
Kirsty Coventry
President of the International Olympic Committee
Marco Rubio
U.S. Secretary of State
What you can do
1
civic action
Contact your representatives about ICE accountability measures
Italian officials and protesters cited ICE killing two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis as the reason for rejecting the agency's presence. Congress can require body cameras, restrict roving patrols, and mandate judicial warrants for arrests. These are the same reforms Democrats proposed during DHS funding negotiations.
I'm calling about ICE accountability after the Milan protests. Thousands of Italians protested ICE's presence at the Olympics because the agency killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis. Milan's mayor called ICE a militia that kills. This is damaging America's reputation with allies. Will you support requiring ICE agents to wear body cameras, banning roving patrols, and mandating judicial warrants for arrests? These reforms would rebuild trust domestically and internationally.
2
civic action
Support organizations documenting international ICE protests
Groups like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch document how U.S. immigration enforcement affects international relations. These organizations track protests in Italy, Canada, and other countries. Their reports provide evidence for congressional oversight and international pressure.
3
civic action
Contact the State Department about diplomatic consequences
The State Department manages relationships with allies. When Italian officials publicly reject U.S. law enforcement and protesters demand the vice president leave, it creates diplomatic problems. Ask how the department plans to repair relationships damaged by ICE enforcement.