By John Q. Hosedrinker 
According to sources at the U.S. Embassy in Rome, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents will have a security role during the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Games, supporting diplomatic security details. The agents will not be conducting immigration enforcement operations. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala stated ICE is not welcome in Milan, while Italian authorities have made conflicting statements regarding the agency’s confirmed deployment. The U.S. delegation, led by Vice President JD Vance, will be attending the opening ceremony of the games in February.
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ICE agents will have a security role at Milan-Cortina Olympics, US sources say, and it’s understandably raising a lot of eyebrows. It seems we’ve got a situation where an agency, primarily focused on immigration and customs enforcement within the United States, is now being deployed to provide security at an international sporting event in Italy. The idea itself prompts immediate questions about the scope of their authority, the appropriateness of the task, and the potential implications this could have.
The core of the issue centers on the very nature of ICE’s mission. While the agency has a well-defined role domestically, including investigating and apprehending individuals who violate immigration and customs laws, its mandate doesn’t typically extend to providing security at international events. To have them involved in such a role, particularly in another country, feels like a significant deviation from their established responsibilities.
One of the more common concerns is the potential for mission creep. The stated purpose of ICE’s involvement is to “support the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service, as well as the host country, to assess and mitigate risks related to transnational criminal organizations.” But the very vagueness of this role makes people question exactly what that entails. There is a very real worry that ICE could overstep its bounds, and that this could be a precursor to something more widespread.
Another critical point is the question of jurisdiction. ICE operates within the United States. They have no legal authority to enforce U.S. laws in Italy. So what exactly are they going to be doing there? The assumption is that they will be acting in a supporting role, working alongside Italian law enforcement and the State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service. However, concerns remain about the specifics of their duties and how they will interact with the local authorities.
A prevalent worry is the potential for this to become a political football. Some see this as an attempt to normalize ICE as something akin to a security force, similar to how the Nazis built up the SS. This perspective fears a further blurring of lines between law enforcement, national security, and political agendas. The concern is that ICE could be used to intimidate or control individuals, particularly those critical of the U.S. government, while they are at the Olympics.
There are also doubts about the training and capabilities of the ICE agents themselves. Are they adequately prepared for the unique challenges of providing security at a high-profile international event? Do they speak Italian or have knowledge of Italian culture? What type of security operations can they run? Questions like this are vital when evaluating the potential effectiveness and professionalism of the agency. There is fear this could be a security disaster.
The use of ICE in this role raises further questions about whether the agency is the right tool for the job. Why not rely on organizations like the Secret Service, which has a long history of protecting U.S. officials and providing security internationally, or the Diplomatic Security Service? These are specialized units trained for such missions. ICE’s involvement feels like an attempt to use a domestic agency as a security force when it isn’t set up for this.
Ultimately, this situation is not a good look. It is easy to see how this could be perceived as the United States attempting to exert its influence and control on the international stage. This situation has the potential to become a political hot potato with the potential for an international incident.