ICE agents have no operational police role in Winter Olympics: Italy

"Agents from the divisive United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency will have no operational role in the Winter Olympics, Italy's interior minister has said days before the Milan-Cortina Games open. ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is a separate investigative arm of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from the department carrying out the US immigration crackdown, will operate within US diplomatic missions only and are not operational agents and have no executive function, Matteo Piantedosi told the Italian Parliament on Wednesday."

"He said the outrage over the HSI presence, including the Milan mayor's warning that they were not welcome in the city during the February 6-22 Winter Games, was completely unfounded. ICE does not and will never be able to carry out operational police activities on our national territory, Piantedosi said. The minister aimed to clarify the news of the contentious deployment of ICE agents, which prompted protests in the Italian metropolis."

"Security and public order are ensured exclusively by our police forces, he said. During the Milan-Cortina Games, the members of this agency will be engaged solely in analysis and information exchange with the Italian authorities, he added. The presence of personnel linked to the ICE agency is certainly not a sudden and unilateral initiative to undermine our national sovereignty, as some have portrayed, but rather compliance with a legally binding international agreement entered into by Italy."

ICE agents will have no operational police role on Italian territory during the Milan-Cortina Winter Olympics. HSI will operate only within US diplomatic missions in Italy and will have no executive or operational policing functions. Security and public order during the Games will be ensured exclusively by Italian police forces. HSI personnel will be limited to analysis and information exchange with Italian authorities. The deployment follows a legally binding international agreement and aims to support the US Department of State's Diplomatic Security Service and host nation efforts to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations. The announcement prompted protests and objections from Milan city officials.

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