The US immigration agency whose officers have been involved in two fatal shootings 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 of the agency’s role came from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), after reports prompted alarm and anger in Italy.
“This is a militia that kills… of course they’re not welcome in Milan,” the city’s mayor, Beppe Sala, told Italian radio on Tuesday.
An ICE spokesperson stressed that “all security operations remain under Italian authority”.
US embassy sources in Rome had already explained to Italian media that various federal agencies had worked at previous Games in the past, although it was not clear if the customs and enforcement agency had itself taken part.
Italy’s Interior Minister Matteo Pantedosi had initially appeared unaware that US immigration officials would be coming to the Milan-Cortina Olympics and said even if they were, foreign delegations could choose their own security, saying: “I don’t see what the problem is and it’s very normal.”
The governor of Lombardy region, Attilio Fontana, sought to calm the situation, suggesting that ICE agents would be deployed in Italy to protect US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
So an agency whose self described purpose is to remove unwanted people from the country will go to a place they are not wanted?
The US is entitled to bring their own security forces, as fucking dumb as it is.
Neither ICE, nor CBP are security forces. Neither would be there operating in their official role. This is not USSS, or FBI, or even military. These are two agencies whose job it is supposed to be to deal with customs and immigration issues within the confines of the US.
Italy really should tell them to get fucked.
Guess who’s going to ‘protect’ voting booths next election.
Guess who isn’t gonna start a revolution? Trump for a life I guess.
This stuff have to end, this just a sport event and anyy type of ICE is not ok.
It’s the winter Olympics though. Some ice is acceptable.
I see what you did there, good one!
Wait - I’ve seen all these headlines today and wondered why we’re talking about the Olympics… But it didn’t occur to me that the US has the summer Olympics in 2 years, definitely not winter. I can’t even imagine what stupidity is being used to justify sending ICE to any other country.
Training purposes would be legitimate considering they’ll definitely be part of the summer Olympics security. Just because they’re fascist assholes doesn’t mean we need to lose our ability to see logic.
The only place where ICE should be in Italy, is in piazzale Loreto, upside down.
prompting Italian anger
WTF?
Why would Italy be pissed about this ?
You deny them entry, the end. Come on, this is not that hard.
ICE agents would be deployed in Italy to protect US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Is the US Secret Service not good enough any more?
Maybe because ICE is more beholden to the party than the Secret Sevice is
They only trust their very own goons.
Would you trust them if you were them?
I mean, why not?
Lincoln, Garfield, McKinley, Roosevelt Kennedy, Regan, Trump’s ear.
“we have to be lucky only once, you have to be lucky always”
secret service wasn’t responsible for protecting the president until 1901, in response to McKinley’s assassination. when Roosevelt was shot he was a non-incumbent candidate, so not under secret service protection; former presidents were not given secret service protection until 1965. Reagan survived because of secret service.
Team America, World Gestapo.
Does Italy have the same agreement with the US like Sweden does where, at least soldiers, are allowed to commit unlimited crimes in their country because the US “promise to totally” charge them back home? Then letting ICE in is asking for trouble.
The secret service would be the obvious choice but they must respect the constitution too much for trump’s liking. /s
suggesting that ICE agents would be deployed in Italy to protect US Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
That’s a big fucking problem, right there. Is the Secret Service not enough? Gotta have the low-EQ/IQ goon squad there too?
I would say it is a lie. But then why are they sent? Is it PR for ICE or something more sinister?
My money’s on optics, so PR but not for ICE so directly. They’re trying to pull a Big Fascism here and they need to project power at every turn. An ostentatious and loyal armed guard made up of knuckle-draggers that aren’t afraid to break every last law, fit the bill for future photo ops. The Secret Service is more about blending in so they’re not going to cut it.
Just because the US says something doesn’t make it true. ICE has fuck all authority in Italy, same as any US law or regime
MAGA you incompetent fuckwits.
They’re not sending their best.
ICE actually are sending their best, though you wouldn’t know it.
Now known as the “special, special olympics.”