MILAN (AP) — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents will serve in a security role at the upcoming Milan Cortina Winter Games, according to sources at the U.S. Embassy in Rome.
The sources who confirmed ICE’s participation on Tuesday said federal ICE agents would support diplomatic security details and would not conduct immigration enforcement operations.
During previous Olympics, several federal agencies have supported the security of U.S. diplomats, including ICE’s investigative component called Homeland Security Investigations, the sources said. They could not be named because they are not authorized to speak publicly.
Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said ICE would not be welcome in his city, where most ice sports take place.
“They are not welcome in Milan. They do not fit into our democratic way of managing security,” Sala told RTL Radio 102.
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ICE’s role was reported this weekend by Italian daily il Fatto Quotidiano, prompting conflicting statements from Italian authorities who declined to appear to confirm their role.
Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said on Saturday he had received no confirmation of their role, but added: “I don’t see what the problem would be,” news agency ANSA reported.
The confirmation of ICE’s role comes after RAI state television broadcast a video on Sunday in which ICE agents threaten to break the glass of the vehicle of a RAI crew reporting to Minneapolis.
