Italy’s interior minister said: “We will not see anything similar to what we saw in the United States on our territory.”
Published February 4, 2026
Italy’s interior minister said days before the opening of the Milan-Cortina Games that officials from the conflicting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency will have no operational role at the Winter Olympics.
Matteo Piantedosi told Italy’s parliament on Wednesday that the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), an investigative agency separate from the department that enforces U.S. immigration enforcement, operates only within U.S. diplomatic missions and is “not an operational agency” and “has no enforcement functions.”
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He said anger over HSI’s presence, including Milan’s mayor’s warning that it would not be welcome in the city during the Winter Olympics, which runs from February 6 to 22, was “totally unfounded”.
“ICE does not and cannot continue to conduct actual police operations on our territory,” Piantedosi said.
The minister aimed to clarify news about the controversial deployment of ICE officers, which has sparked protests in Italy’s biggest cities.
“Security and security are exclusively ensured by our police force,” he said.
“During the Milan-Cortina Games, the members of this body will only be engaged in analysis and exchange of information with the Italian authorities,” he added.
“The presence of personnel associated with the ICE agency is not a sudden unilateral effort to undermine our national sovereignty, as some have portrayed, but rather compliance with legally binding international agreements entered into by Italy.”
Last week, the U.S. government agency announced it would “assist the State Department’s Office of Diplomatic Security and host countries in vetting and mitigating risks posed by transnational criminal organizations.”
Following the announcement, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said ICE was not welcome in the city.
“This is a paramilitary group that kills people… It’s clear that they are not welcome in Milan. There is no doubt about it. Can’t we just say no to[US President Donald]Trump once and for all?” he said in an interview on RTL 102.5 radio.
ICE said its operations in Italy are separate from the immigration crackdown ordered by President Trump in the United States.
Italy’s interior minister acknowledged that the agency’s role was limited.
“We will not see anything similar to what we saw in the American media on our territory,” Piantedosi said.
“Therefore, the concerns that have caused controversy over the last few days are completely unfounded and this information allows me to conclusively dispel them.”
