Milan mayor blasts ICE as a ‘militia that kills’ as JD Vance and Marco Rubio arrive just before the Olympics opening ceremony

Milan’s mayor has severely criticized US immigration authorities and senior American officials just days before the Winter Olympics opening ceremony. This has injected politics into an event that the International Olympic Committee is urging spectators to treat with restraint and respect.

Giuseppe Sala, the mayor of Milan, described Immigration and Customs Enforcement as “a militia that kills” in a late January radio interview, comments that resurfaced as Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are set to attend Friday’s opening ceremony as part of the US delegation. The words have heightened controversy on how American officials may be received by European audiences during the Games.

According to the International Olympic Committee, IOC President Kirsty Coventry appealed on Wednesday for calm and civility when athletes and officials are introduced at the ceremony. Speaking to reporters as per the New York Post, Coventry said she hoped the opening would be “an opportunity to be respectful of each other,” addressing speculation that American representatives could face jeering. The Olympics also went viral for not having the ‘anti-sex’ beds anymore.

Why The Olympics Are Getting Political

The opening ceremony will take place on Friday, with the main festivities centered at Milan’s San Siro stadium. Vance and Rubio’s presence represents a high-profile US diplomatic showing at the Milan Cortina Games, which are unfolding amid broader political sensitivities between the United States and parts of Europe. The Winter Olympics also faced their own troubles recently.

The Olympics are beginning against a background of a whole lot of geopolitical unease and public debate over U.S. immigration enforcement practices. Recent incidents involving immigration authorities in the United States have drawn international scrutiny and contributed to criticism of American policy abroad.
That context has increased focus on security arrangements for the Games.

The US Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that agents from ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations unit will be present in Milan during the Olympics in a limited, advisory capacity to support coordination efforts. The confirmation of ICE’s involvement prompted Sala’s public response. In a Jan. 27 interview with a local Milan radio station, the mayor accused the agency of operating like an unaccountable force and questioned why Italian authorities should accept its presence during a global sporting event hosted on Italian soil.

“They’re not welcome in Milan,” Sala said during the interview, again referring to ICE as a “militia” and arguing that its methods undermine civil liberties. He framed the issue as part of a seeming rejection of policies associated with President Donald Trump’s administration.

Italian authorities moved to contain the fallout from Sala’s remarks. In a statement issued the same day, the Interior Ministry said ICE personnel would be based at the American consulate in Milan and would not conduct operations or enforcement activity on Italian territory.