Protests have erupted in Milan, Italy surrounding the U.S. security detail for this year’s Winter Olympics, which began on Feb. 6. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been all over the news and social media due to an increasing number of raids across the country, some of which have led to fatal shootings.
However, this media coverage is not limited to the U.S. During an Italian news channel coverage report of ICE presence in Minneapolis, two Rai 3 journalists recorded and posted an interaction with ICE agents on the channel’s Instagram.
The video showed the two journalists following the agents to report on their activities and these agents approaching their vehicle.
“We’re gonna break out your window and extract you from the vehicle,” one of the agents said.
“This is your only warning, if you keep following us, we will break your window and we will pull you out of the vehicle.”
Tension fully broke out when Italian media began reporting that ICE agents would be in attendance at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d’Ampezzo as the security detail.
Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan, defined ICE as “a militia that kills” and told Italy’s private radio station RTL 102.5 that “they are not welcome in Milan.”
The specific unit of ICE being sent to the Olympics is the Homeland Security Investigations unit, a branch of ICE that focuses on transnational crime. This unit is separate from the one that handles immigration and deportations in the U.S.
In an attempt to cool tensions in the Italian media, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani told reporters that the unit going to the Olympics is standard practice.
He explained to the BBC that the agents are not the same ones seen in masks across various videos, but instead those responsible for counter-terrorism.
Tajani also expressed that even if they were from the same unit, he doesn’t “see what the problem is and it’s very normal.” He also said that every foreign delegation can choose who forms a part of their security.
In response to all the protests, three U.S. Olympic bodies changed the name of their hospitality venue spaces, including USA Hockey, U.S. Figure Skating and U.S. Speedskating.
The original name for this space was “Ice House,” however, following the current affiliation the word “ice” has with immigration protests in Italy and the U.S., they have changed the name to “Winter House.” U.S. Vice President James “JD” Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be in attendance.
