ICE Agents to Help With Security at Winter Olympics

ROME: Agents from the separatist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will help support US security operations for next month’s Winter Olympic Games in Italy, a spokesman told AFP.

“ICE Homeland Security Investigations at the Olympics supports the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation to investigate and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations,” the agency said in a statement. he said.

“All security operations are under Italian authority.”

He added: “Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries.”

The possibility of ICE agents being present at the February 6-22 Games has sparked major controversy in Italy following the outcry over the deaths of two civilians during a crackdown on immigrants in Minneapolis.

Italian officials initially denied ICE’s presence and later sought to downplay any role, suggesting they would only assist with the security of the US delegation.

US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio attend the inauguration ceremony in Milan on February 6.

On Monday, the president of the northern Lombardy region, which hosts some Olympic events, said their attendance would be limited to watching Vance and Rubio.

“He will only be in a defensive role, but I believe nothing will happen,” Attilio Fontana told reporters.

However, his office later issued a statement saying it had no knowledge of their existence but was responding to a hypothetical question.

Thousands of ICE agents have been deployed by President Donald Trump in various US cities to prevent illegal immigration.

Their actions sparked widespread protests and the recent killings of US citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, on the streets of Minneapolis sparked outrage.