A diplomatic row threatens to overshadow the upcoming Winter Olympics as Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala slams the deployment of US ICE agents to Italy, branding them a "militia that kills" and declaring them unwelcome in his city.

The controversy centers on the decision to send agents from US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to support security at the Milan-Cortina Games. While the US Embassy insists their role is strictly to support diplomatic security and not to conduct operations, the move has sparked outrage across Italy, fueled by ICE’s controversial human rights record back home.

"Not Welcome in Milan"

Mayor Sala did not hold back in a radio interview, channeling the anger of a European public deeply suspicious of American law enforcement tactics. "They don’t guarantee they’re aligned with our democratic security management methods," Sala said. "Can’t we just say no to Trump for once? We can take care of their security ourselves."

The mayor’s comments reflect a growing sovereignty anxiety. The idea of armed foreign agents—associated with brutal immigration crackdowns—operating on Italian soil has struck a nerve.

• The Trigger: The outrage is compounded by the recent fatal shooting of US citizens by ICE agents in Minneapolis, painting the agency as trigger-happy and unaccountable.
• The Role: ICE claims its "Homeland Security Investigations" (HSI) unit is there to help vet risks from transnational crime, a standard practice for major international events.
• The Backlash: Petitions have been launched by Italian opposition parties and human rights groups demanding the agents be barred from entry.

Diplomatic Headache

The row puts the Italian government in a bind. Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni has cultivated close ties with the Trump administration, but she cannot ignore the domestic uproar. Allowing ICE to operate freely could be seen as a surrender of sovereignty, while blocking them could cause a rift with Washington.

For Kenyans, who host various foreign security entities, the debate is familiar. Where does cooperation end and interference begin? The presence of foreign boots on the ground is always a sensitive subject, and in Milan, the ice is wearing thin.

A Games of Politics

The Winter Olympics are supposed to be a celebration of sport, but they are increasingly becoming a theater for geopolitical posturing. With Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio expected to attend, the security stakes are high. But Mayor Sala has drawn a line in the snow: Milan is open to the world, but not to "militias."