Public order

Ice agents in Milan Cortina. Piantedosi sees US ambassador, will report to the Chamber on 4 February

On 4 February, the minister will address the House on Ice's presence at the Milan-Cortina Olympics. Viminale: 6 thousand agents for security at the Winter Olympics

27 January 2026

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

3' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will help support US security operations at the Winter Olympic Games in Italy. This was stated by an Ice spokesman.

"During the Olympics, Ice Homeland Security Investigations will provide support to the US State Department's Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation to verify and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations," the agency said in a statement.

Piantedosi sees US ambassador, coordination on ICE's role

Meanwhile, the Minister of the Interior, Matteo Piantedosi met with the American Ambassador, Tilman J. Fertitta, to discuss aspects concerning the coordination activities of His (Homeland Security Investigations) - the investigative component of ICE - with the operations rooms of the Italian authorities for the protection of US athletes and delegations in the coming weeks, on the occasion of the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. As the government authorities have already stated several times, the ICE agents will not have any external public order function.

The minister gave his availability to give a briefing to the Chamber of Deputies on Ice's presence at the Milan-Cortina Olympics on Wednesday 4 February at 5pm.

Viminal: 6,000 agents for security at the Winter Olympics

In the run-up to the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics, a total of around six thousand agents of the national security system will be deployed on the security front. The deployment of advanced surveillance systems, including drones and aerial surveillance devices, will support prevention and territorial control activities. This is what emerged at the National Committee for Public Order and Security, chaired at the Viminale by Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi, in the presence of the top management of the law enforcement and intelligence agencies, for an in-depth update on the security measures for the event. Particular attention will be paid to the protection of public order, security of infrastructures and flow management, as well as prevention profiles also in the technological sphere.

Olimpiadi, il Qatar invia a Milano le forze di sicurezza d’elite

Confirmation also from the US Embassy

The US State Department's Diplomatic Security Service is playing a leading role in US security matters at the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympic Games. This is according to sources at the US Embassy in Rome, according to which, as in previous Olympic events, several federal agencies are supporting the Diplomatic Security Service, including Homeland Security Investigations, the investigative component of ICE.

As the Department of Homeland Security noted, the same sources said, 'obviously ICE does not conduct immigration control operations in foreign countries. During the Olympics, Ice's Homeland Security Investigations supports the Diplomatic Security Service of the US State Department and the host country in the process of verifying and mitigating risks from transnational criminal organisations. All security operations remain under Italian authority'.

Milano-Cortina, Piantedosi: "Ice non opererà mai in Italia, polemica sul nulla"

Mayor of Milan Sala: 'Ice? I don't feel protected by Piantedosi'

The mayor of Milan, Giuseppe Sala, also intervened on the case, speaking live on Rtl 102.5. "As an Italian, even before being the first Milanese citizen, I do not feel protected by Minister Piantedosi, who says, 'Well, if the ICE comes, what's the problem? There is a problem: this is a militia that kills. It is clear that they are not welcome in Milan, but I wonder, could we say no to Trump for once? Here we are not talking about breaking relations or creating a diplomatic case, but a no, we could say it'.

'This is not something they know how to do,' Sala reiterated, 'I think they should not come to Italy because they do not give guarantees that they are aligned with our way of managing security in a democratic way.