They’re going because the U.S. government wants extra federal security support for its delegation at the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan–Cortina, not to do immigration raids or check athletes’ visas.

Quick Scoop: What’s Going On?

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is sending agents—specifically from its Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) branch—to the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. Their stated mission is to help protect the U.S. delegation and work with Italian authorities on threats like transnational crime, not to enforce immigration law in Italy.

“ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries… HSI is supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and the host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations.”

Why Are ICE Agents Going?

Official reasons

Authorities have framed the deployment like this:

  • Support for U.S. diplomats and athletes
    • ICE’s HSI agents will assist the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service with security for U.S. officials and the wider delegation.
  • Focus on serious crime, not visas
    • The mission is described as assessing and reducing risks from transnational criminal organizations such as trafficking or organized smuggling networks, which often target major events.
  • Part of a broader security pattern
    • U.S. federal security agencies (including HSI) have taken part in security operations for big international sporting events before, including past Olympics and the Super Bowl.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani and DHS spokespeople have stressed that ICE will not be running street patrols or immigration checks in Milan or Cortina. Italian authorities remain in charge of security on Italian soil.

Why Is It So Controversial?

Even though the mission is officially “technical” and focused on security, the optics are explosive because of ICE’s reputation and recent events.

Key sources of backlash

  • Recent deadly incidents
    • ICE has been involved in high‑profile deadly incidents in Minneapolis and other cities, which critics associate with excessive force and abusive immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump’s policies.
  • Italian political outrage
    • Milan’s mayor Giuseppe (Beppe) Sala has called ICE “a militia that kills” and said they are not welcome in the city.
* Former Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and the centrist Italia Viva party have urged the government to bar ICE agents from entering Italy at all.
  • Street protests and calls for bans
    • A left‑wing Italian trade union has announced a protest called “ICE OUT – From Minneapolis to Milan” timed with the Olympic opening ceremony.
* Online, there are calls for demonstrations and strong forum reaction threads criticizing Italy for allowing “Trump’s anti‑immigrant militia” anywhere near the Games.

At the same time, some Italian officials aligned with the government argue that international cooperation on security is normal and necessary for an event of this scale—even if they dislike ICE’s image.

What Will ICE Agents Actually Do There?

Based on public statements, here’s what they’re supposed to be doing:

  • Work in “operations rooms,” not patrol streets
    • Tajani has said they will be in coordination centers, collaborating on intelligence and security planning rather than policing crowds.
  • Support investigations and threat assessment
    • HSI agents specialize in international crime networks (human trafficking, smuggling, financial crimes), so they’ll help identify and track potential threats around the Games.
  • Coordinate with U.S. and Italian security
    • They’ll support the U.S. Diplomatic Security Service, liaise with Italian law enforcement, and work under Italy’s overall authority.

Officials have repeatedly said: no immigration enforcement, no independent ICE operations on Italian territory.

Why Is This a “Trending Topic” Now?

A few things are making “why are ICE agents going to the Olympics” pop up in searches and forums:

  • Timing: news broke just weeks before the 2026 Winter Games, so reactions are peaking as athletes and officials travel.
  • Politics: the move is tied in public perception to President Donald Trump’s hard‑line immigration agenda and recent ICE‑related violence, so it touches on U.S.–Europe tensions and domestic U.S. debates.
  • Social media amplification: clips of Italian leaders calling ICE a “militia” and headlines about “ICE at the Olympics” are circulating heavily on Reddit, Instagram, and X, fueling outrage, memes, and calls for protests or even boycotts.

In short, they’re going for security and intelligence support , but the agency’s history and symbolism are turning a technical deployment into a major political flashpoint.

TL;DR: ICE agents are being sent to the 2026 Winter Olympics to help protect the U.S. delegation and work on transnational crime threats, under Italian authority and without doing immigration enforcement—but their presence is sparking intense backlash in Italy and online because of ICE’s record and its association with Trump‑era policies.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.