Interior minister insists agency personnel will be confined to diplomatic roles, amid protests and political backlash
By The Midtown Times Staff
Published Feb. 4, 2026
Italian officials moved Wednesday to quell controversy surrounding the presence of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel ahead of the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics, stressing that the agency will not exercise any law enforcement powers on Italian soil.
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi told Parliament that agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, specifically its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division, will operate strictly within U.S. diplomatic facilities and will not conduct policing or enforcement activities during the Games.
“These individuals are not operational police officers and have no executive authority,” Piantedosi said, adding that public security during the February 6–22 Winter Olympics will be handled exclusively by Italian law enforcement.
The clarification follows days of criticism and street protests in Milan after reports emerged that ICE personnel would be deployed for the 2026 Winter Olympics. Milan’s mayor had publicly objected to their presence, fueling concerns about sovereignty and the potential spillover of U.S.-style immigration enforcement into Italy.
Piantedosi dismissed those fears as unfounded. “Nothing resembling what has been seen in the United States will take place here,” he said, emphasizing that HSI’s role will be limited to analysis and information-sharing with Italian authorities.
According to the minister, the cooperation stems from existing international agreements and is neither a unilateral move by Washington nor an attempt to undermine Italy’s autonomy. “Security and public order remain entirely in Italian hands,” he said.
The controversy intensified after ICE said last week that it would assist the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and work with host-nation authorities to assess risks linked to transnational criminal organizations.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala reacted sharply, saying ICE was not welcome in the city. “This is a militia that kills,” he said in a radio interview, questioning why Italy should accommodate policies associated with U.S. President Donald Trump.
ICE later sought to distance its overseas activities from the immigration crackdown underway in the United States, noting that HSI operates separately within the Department of Homeland Security and focuses on investigations rather than immigration enforcement.
Reiterating that point, Piantedosi said the agency’s involvement during the Olympics would be strictly non-operational. “The concerns raised in recent days can now be definitively put to rest,” he said, “because they have no basis in reality.”
With the Games set to open in just days, Italian officials are hoping the clarification will calm public debate and refocus attention on security preparations led solely by domestic authorities.
By The Midtown Times Staff
Published Feb. 4, 2026
