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ICE Investigators to Support U.S. Security at Milano–Cortina Olympics as Italy Demands Clarity

U.S. Homeland Security Investigations will back the Diplomatic Security Service under Italian control without immigration powers, triggering political backlash days before the Feb. 6 opening.

MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA - JANUARY 13: An observer is detained by ICE agents after they arrested two people from a residence on January 13, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. The Trump administration has deployed over 2,400 Department of Homeland Security agents to the state of Minnesota in a push to apprehend undocumented immigrants. (Photo by Stephen Maturen/Getty Images)
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Federal agents fire flash-bang grenades as they advance toward protesters during clashes following the fatal shooting of a man by federal immigration agents earlier in the day, on January 24, 2026 in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Overview

  • ICE and DHS confirmed that Homeland Security Investigations will assist the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service at the Feb. 6–22 Games to vet risks from transnational criminal organizations.
  • Italy’s interior minister met U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta and said agents will have no public‑order role, with the ministry indicating work will be confined to diplomatic settings and a parliamentary briefing set for Feb. 4.
  • Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala declared the agency unwelcome, opposition leaders condemned the plan, petitions gathered tens of thousands of signatures, and a union announced an “ICE OUT” rally for the Feb. 6 opening.
  • The U.S. Embassy noted this mirrors prior practice, saying multiple federal agencies, including HSI, have supported Olympic security overseas, including in Paris in 2024.
  • The deployment has faced intensified scrutiny after two fatal shootings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, while U.S. officials stressed ICE will not conduct immigration enforcement in Italy.