Italy sets security plan for Milano Cortina 2026, says US ICE staff not on the ground
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FILE PHOTO: Demonstrators carry signs condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) near the site where a man identified as Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal agents trying to detain him, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S., January 24, 2026. REUTERS/Tim Evans/File Photo
ROME, Jan 28 - Italy has detailed a sweeping security plan for the Winter Olympics, stressing that all operations will remain under its command after it emerged that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement staff would be assisting the U.S. delegation.
The Games will be one of the most complex security operations Italy has had to manage with the event split between two main hubs, Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, with additional events held in other locations across northern Italy.
Around 3,500 athletes will take part in the event, which runs from February 6–22, with the government expecting some two million visitors, including 60,000 for the opening ceremony in Milan's San Siro stadium. The U.S. delegation will be led by U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
6,000 LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS
Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi said the security operation blended field deployments, intelligence‑led prevention and, for the first time at a major event in Italy, a 24‑hour cybersecurity control room.
About 6,000 law-enforcement officers will be stationed across multiple Olympic sites, supported by no-fly and restricted-access areas.
Competing nations often bring their own security personnel. In that vein, the U.S. State Department said on Tuesday that several federal agencies, including ICE, would help protect the visiting Americans as they have at past Olympics.
The interior ministry said in a statement that ICE staffers would only work in U.S. diplomatic offices such as the Milan consulate, and "not on the ground".
"All security operations on Italian territory remain, as always, under the exclusive responsibility and direction of the Italian authorities," the ministry said.
'ICE OUT' RALLIES ARE LOOMING
The ministry's assurances have not quelled criticism.
The hard‑left USB union has called an "ICE OUT" rally in central Milan on February 6, coinciding with the Games opening ceremony, while opposition parties and left‑wing groups plan a protest this Saturday.
ICE and Border Patrol agents have come under heavy criticism in the United States over their enforcement of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown, with images of their actions shocking many in Italy, traditionally a very close U.S. ally.
Under the Olympics deployment plan, more than 3,000 regular police officers, some 2,000 Carabinieri military police and more than 800 Guardia di Finanza tax police will be assigned to venues, with Milan hosting the largest contingent.
The plan also includes drone surveillance, robotic inspection systems for hazardous or inaccessible areas, and a cybersecurity command centre in Milan tasked with monitoring both Olympic networks and strategic transport infrastructure that faced disruption ahead of the Paris 2024 Games.
Authorities will activate several "red zones" from February 6 to 22, barring access to individuals with public-order convictions in an effort to prevent clashes. REUTERS
