Milan-Cortina 2026: Italy Reacts to U.S. Security Plans Amid Olympic Preparations

MILAN (Azat TV) – News that a unit of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will be part of the security detail for the U.S. delegation at the upcoming Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics has ignited significant concern and confusion across Italy. The announcement, made public on Tuesday, January 27, 2026, just over a week before the Games are set to officially begin on February 6, has drawn sharp criticism from local officials and citizens, who expressed outrage at the inclusion of an agency widely associated with controversial immigration enforcement tactics under the Trump administration.

While U.S. officials have clarified that the deployed unit, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), focuses on cross-border crimes and operates differently from the immigration enforcement arm, the distinction was not immediately clear to Italian media and the public, fueling a contentious debate ahead of the major international event.

Italian Officials and Public Express Outcry

The strongest condemnation came from Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala, who vehemently stated that ICE agents would not be welcome in his city, which is slated to host the opening ceremony and most ice sports. “This is a militia that kills, a militia that enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips. It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt,” Sala told RTL Radio 102, as cited by The Guardian. His remarks underscored a broader public sentiment, with online petitions quickly gathering support from those opposed to ICE’s presence.

Concerns were exacerbated by a recent RAI news report, which aired Sunday, showing an Italian news crew allegedly being threatened by ICE agents in Minneapolis. This incident, combined with heightened awareness of the agency’s immigration crackdown tactics in the U.S., contributed to the negative perception.

Clarifying ICE’s Role and Italian Government Response

In response to the growing uproar, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a statement on Tuesday, clarifying the specific role of its agents. “Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries,” the statement read. It further explained that ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) unit would support the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation in vetting and mitigating risks from transnational criminal organizations. All security operations, the department stressed, would remain under Italian authority.

A U.S. official, speaking anonymously to discuss security measures, indicated that HSI agents would primarily work behind the scenes, often from offices or the U.S. consulate in Milan, a practice consistent with their involvement in previous international events. This unit, HSI, is distinct from Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), the ICE arm primarily responsible for immigration arrests and deportations. HSI agents typically investigate crimes with a cross-border nexus, such as human smuggling and fentanyl trafficking.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani also sought to ease tensions, telling reporters that the deployed ICE agents would not be “those with machine guns and faces covered. They will be functionaries who belong to the anti-terrorism department.” Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi held a “cordial” meeting with U.S. Ambassador Tilman Fertitta, indicating a diplomatic effort to address the controversy. Cortina Mayor Gianluca Lorenzi deferred to Italian law enforcement, assuming security arrangements would align with national guidelines, according to AP News.

The Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics: A Grand Stage

Despite the security controversy, preparations for the Milan-Cortina 2026 Winter Olympics are in full swing. The Games are set to run from February 6 to February 22, 2026, though some earliest competitions will commence on February 4. This will be the most geographically widespread Games ever staged, with 15 event venues spread across more than 10,000 square miles of Italy’s Lombardy and Veneto regions.

The event will feature 16 sports and 116 medal events. Notably, ski mountaineering will make its debut as an Olympic sport at the Stelvio Ski Centre in Bormio. The Closing Ceremony on February 22 will conclude the Milano Cortina Games, passing the torch to France for the 2030 Winter Olympics.

Team USA’s Olympic Contenders

Team USA is sending its largest-ever Winter Olympics contingent, with 232 athletes, including 98 returning Olympians and 33 medalists. Several prominent athletes are poised for strong performances:

• Madison Chock and Evan Bates (Figure Skating): The husband-and-wife ice dance team, with multiple world and national titles, aim for their first Olympic ice dance gold.
• Alex Hall (Freeskiing): The defending freeski slopestyle gold medalist will seek to defend his title and potentially medal in big air.
• Chloe Kim (Snowboarding): The two-time Olympic halfpipe gold medalist has a strong chance to become the first woman to win three consecutive halfpipe golds.
• Ilia Malinin (Figure Skating): Undefeated for over two years, Malinin is a favorite for gold and is known for landing the quadruple Axel.
• Mikaela Shiffrin (Alpine Skiing): The winningest alpine skier of all time, Shiffrin will focus on giant slalom, slalom, and team combined events, aiming for more Olympic medals.
• Jordan Stolz (Speed Skating): At 21, Stolz is a gold-medal favorite in multiple speed skating events (500m, 1000m, 1500m, mass start) after a strong World Cup season.
• Lindsey Vonn (Alpine Skiing): Coming out of retirement, the 41-year-old Vonn has qualified for her fifth Olympics, seeking to add to her three previous medals.

Watching the Games and Ticket Information

In the U.S., NBC and Peacock will provide extensive live coverage of the Opening Ceremony and daily competitions. Peacock will offer live streams and full-event replays, while NBC will broadcast at least five hours of daytime coverage. International viewers can tune in via services like HBO Max and the BBC, as detailed by Forbes.

For those wishing to attend, the 2026 Winter Olympics ticket draw opened on April 8, 2025. While many sessions are sold out, some are still available through the official ticketing website and the Fan26 page. A resale platform is also available on the Tickets MilanoCortina2026 app for buying, selling, or transferring tickets.

The controversy surrounding the U.S. security deployment at the Milan-Cortina Games highlights the persistent diplomatic friction between the Trump administration and traditional European allies, underscoring how domestic policy issues can spill over into international events and complicate what are typically routine security cooperations.