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.

  • ragepaw@lemmy.ca
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    3 hours ago

    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.

    • zaphod@sopuli.xyz
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      2 hours ago

      I suppose they’re afraid their athletes might run away, something North Korea is usually accused of.

  • blitzen@lemmy.ca
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    3 hours ago

    So an agency whose self described purpose is to remove unwanted people from the country will go to a place they are not wanted?

  • protist@mander.xyz
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    3 hours ago

    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.

    Well now hold on a second. ICE is going to be protecting Vance and Rubio, and ICE is also utterly incompetent, so maybe let’s see how this plays out

  • acargitz@lemmy.ca
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    2 hours ago

    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?

  • Axolotl@feddit.it
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    3 hours ago

    Don’t get in our country, ICE!
    I don’ fucking want them here, they can go fuck themselves, i hope that our government do something and if they don’t, we should get mad

  • rose56@lemmy.zipOP
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    4 hours ago

    This stuff have to end, this just a sport event and anyy type of ICE is not ok.

  • dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world
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    2 hours ago

    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?

    • plyth@feddit.org
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      1 hour ago

      I would say it is a lie. But then why are they sent? Is it PR for ICE or something more sinister?

      • dejected_warp_core@lemmy.world
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        57 minutes ago

        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.