The US immigration agency whose officers have been involved in a fatal shooting in Minneapolis has said it is sending agents to help support American security operations during the Winter Olympics, which start in Italy on 6 February.
Confirmation that a branch of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) would play a role came from several US departments, alarm and anger rising in Italy.
This is a militia that kills... of course they're not welcome in Milan, Milan Mayor Beppe Sala declared on Italian radio. In a bid to defuse tensions, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani attempted to downplay the situation, stating, it's not like the [Nazi] SS are coming.
He was speaking on the sidelines of a Holocaust Remembrance Day ceremony. DHS officials clarified that all security operations at the Olympics are directed and managed exclusively by Italian authorities and stressed that ICE would not conduct immigration enforcement outside the US.
Despite assurances, tension grew following shocking events in Minneapolis, where protests erupted after the shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent on January 7. The incident heightens fears about ICE's potential presence during an internationally significant event.
Italian officials assured the public that only local police and military units would enforce law and order during the Olympics, with reports indicating that an operations center would be set up at the US consulate in Milan for coordination.
The Lombardy region's governor suggested ICE's role might be limited to protecting high-level US officials during the games, amid concerns from political opponents of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni regarding perceived acquiescence to the US authority.
The matter remains contentious with officials maintaining a posture of caution as they navigate public fears and political pressures in light of recent violent incidents involving US immigration officers.
