US Agents to Play Advisory Role at Italy Winter Olympics Amid Controversy Over Immigration Crackdowns
The US government has reassured that agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will only have an advisory role at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy. The move has sparked outrage among Italians who are wary of the agency's involvement due to its history of cracking down on immigration in the US.
According to Washington's ambassador to Rome, Tilman J. Fertitta, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations unit will provide intelligence-based support rather than conducting patrols or enforcement operations during the Games. The agents' primary focus will be on combating cybercrimes and national security threats, with an emphasis on cross-border criminal activity such as human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and child exploitation.
Fertitta clarified that all security operations at the Olympics would remain the responsibility of Italian authorities, and that ICE's role was limited to providing expertise in these areas. This clarification comes after news of the deployment sparked concerns among Italians, who have been critical of the agency's approach to immigration issues in the US.
The announcement has not alleviated tensions between the two countries, however, with Italy's political opposition calling on the government to refuse the deployment and protests expected in Rome and Milan in the coming days. The US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to attend the opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium on February 6, amidst a backdrop of controversy surrounding the agency's involvement in international events.
The US government has reassured that agents from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will only have an advisory role at the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, Italy. The move has sparked outrage among Italians who are wary of the agency's involvement due to its history of cracking down on immigration in the US.
According to Washington's ambassador to Rome, Tilman J. Fertitta, ICE's Homeland Security Investigations unit will provide intelligence-based support rather than conducting patrols or enforcement operations during the Games. The agents' primary focus will be on combating cybercrimes and national security threats, with an emphasis on cross-border criminal activity such as human smuggling, narcotics trafficking, and child exploitation.
Fertitta clarified that all security operations at the Olympics would remain the responsibility of Italian authorities, and that ICE's role was limited to providing expertise in these areas. This clarification comes after news of the deployment sparked concerns among Italians, who have been critical of the agency's approach to immigration issues in the US.
The announcement has not alleviated tensions between the two countries, however, with Italy's political opposition calling on the government to refuse the deployment and protests expected in Rome and Milan in the coming days. The US Vice-President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to attend the opening ceremony at Milan's San Siro stadium on February 6, amidst a backdrop of controversy surrounding the agency's involvement in international events.
i feel so bad for the italians though they're already stressed enough with their own issues and now this is happening at their olympics? i get that us needs to be secure but can't we just coexist peacefully? 
let's hope everything works out smoothly at the games and everyone gets along! 
and what's with all these protests in Italy, like isn't there room for both sides to figure some stuff out? 
. I mean, ICE is already known for being super tough on immigration in the US, so it's weird to see them playing an advisory role at the Olympics in Italy. I get that they're gonna help with cybercrimes and national security stuff, but I don't think it's cool that Italian ppl are worried about their own country's security being handled by a agency with such a history 
. And now the US VP is coming to Milan... that just adds fuel to the fire 
. Can't say I'd be super comfortable if I was Italian, you feel? 
. They're gonna be around the Olympics like vultures, waiting for someone to slip up so they can swoop in and start enforcing their policies. What's next? Having them at every sports event? It's all about keeping tabs on "undesirables" while ignoring the real issues of systemic racism and inequality... 
. ICE agents showing up at Olympics is like, super awkward. I get it, they gotta keep an eye out for cybercrimes and all that, but come on, can't they just stick to their own borders? Italy's already got enough on their plate with those immigration crackdowns. It's like, we're talking about athletes here, not security threats... unless you count the threat of a few bad apples in the crowd 
. They'll probably end up causing more trouble than they're worth. And can we please get some answers from our politicians on why this is even happening? The US VP and Secretary of State are coming to Rome... what's the deal with that? Shouldn't they be focusing on, like, actual diplomacy or something? 
anyway, i think its cool that italian ppl are speaking up about this tho 
they got a point 2 be worried about immigration issues in italy cuz its def not the same as what's goin on in the usa 
ICE sounds super sketchy 2 me lol 
And for what? So the US can show off its "expertise" on cybercrimes? Like, hello, we've got our own cybersecurity team right here in Italy too! 
The US agents being there is kinda cool, I guess 
I mean, it's not like they're gonna be enforcing anything or whatever 
. But seriously, I love how the ambassador clarified that ICE is just giving tips and expertise 
. That's what they do best! 
And can you even imagine all the cybercrime prevention happening during the games? 
It's like, so cool to see people working together for a good cause 
! Italy's being super dramatic as usual 
this is a bit surreal isn't it? I mean, think about it - we're living in an era where our borders are still pretty much open, but we've got agencies like ICE making headlines because they're helping out with cybercrime and national security at the Olympics... what does that even say about our values as a society? 
and now italian govts all up in arms saying refuse deployment 
its like come on folks lets not get it twisted 
they're sayin ice will just be doin intel and support roles tho 
i mean who doesn't know about ice and their immigration policies? but seriously, it's weird how countries can be like "oh no, you're going to come and help us" but then have that same country being super critical of others for doing the same thing. like, if they were really concerned about cybercrime and human smuggling, why did it take them until now to actually do something?