U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are set to be present in Milan and Cortina during the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics (February 6–22), where they will play a security support role, the U.S. Embassy in Rome has confirmed. The agents — mostly from ICE’s investigative unit, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) — will assist with diplomatic and security coordination for the U.S. delegation, but will not conduct immigration enforcement operations while in Italy.
Officials say ICE’s role is similar to past Olympic deployments by U.S. federal agencies, focusing on vetting and mitigating risks related to transnational crime alongside host-country authorities. All operational control remains under Italian jurisdiction.
The planned deployment has prompted significant pushback from Italian leaders and the public:Milan’s mayor, Giuseppe Sala, strongly criticised the decision, calling ICE “a militia that kills” and saying the agency is “not welcome” in his city. Critics argue the agency’s controversial reputation — especially amid recent events in the United States — clashes with Italian democratic norms and public expectations for Olympic security.
Debate continues at political and diplomatic levels, with some Italian officials downplaying concerns while others maintain reservations about ICE’s presence.
ICE’s role in the Winter Olympics comes amid heightened scrutiny of the agency following recent deadly incidents in the U.S. that sparked protests and national debate over federal enforcement tactics. Opponents of the Olympic deployment have cited these events in expressing their discomfort with ICE agents being involved in a major international sporting event.