You might have seen or heard rumors about ICE agents being deployed at the upcoming Winter Olympic Games in Milan Cortina, Italy, to help provide security. The Lead Stories Rome office looked into what is actually happening, so you know what is going on if you see social media posts about it. Agents from the Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), a unit within ICE focusing on cross-border crimes, will be present to support the U.S. State Department's Diplomatic Security Service.
They won't be on the streets, though, but they will operate from U.S. diplomatic offices, such as the Milan consulate. Their role will only be advisory and intelligence-based, while security operations on Italian territory will be under the exclusive direction of Italian authorities. The long-sought clarification came from the Italian Interior Minister, Matteo Piantedosi, and the U.S. ambassador to Italy, Tilman J. Fertitta, after days of speculation and misinformation fueled by conflicting statements from the authorities, amidst mounting public outrage, initially sparked by a story in the Italian daily newspaper Il Fatto Quotidiano on January 24, 2026, whose headline read: "Milan Cortina, the notorious ICE arrives in Italy for Olympic security."
It's not unusual for HSI, within ICE, to play a role for U.S. delegations abroad, and in previous Olympic events, such as the 2024 Paris Games, HSI gave its support, along with other federal agencies. But the plan to send U.S. agents to Italy was revealed at a time when images of the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis were all over the Italian news. The prospect of foreign agents involved in an immigration crackdown that turned deadly, suddenly coming to Italy, spurred an immediate outcry. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala defined ICE as a "militia that kills" and insisted that it was not welcome in his city, which will host the opening ceremony of the Games on February 6, 2026.
Petitions to prevent ICE's entry into the country were filed, and protests with clear slogans were planned and carried out: "ICE agents in Milan? No, thank you" and "NO ICE." Opposition parties demanded answers, while the Interior Minister's vague statements on the matter contributed to the spread of false scenarios of foreign armed agents on the streets of Italy, feeding the fury, instead of easing tensions. A communication debacle: a weak rebuttal was followed by what sounded like half an admission, until, after a meeting with the U.S. ambassador to Italy, it was finally clarified that no ICE agents would be on the ground and Italy would maintain total control of security on its soil.
Will it be enough to stop false rumors and misinformation? Tensions remain high. Piantedosi will report to Parliament on February 4, 2026, and, despite attempts to clear the air, protests are still scheduled for Janaury 31 in Milan.
