A delegation from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will accompany the US delegation to the Winter Olympics in Italy.
The presence of Trump’s immigration police on Italian soil has sparked outrage in Italy since the tornado that killed two American citizens in Minneapolis less than two months ago – Renee Nicole Goode and Alex Pretti.
The Italian opposition and even some partners in the government of Giorgia Meloni have shown themselves in recent days against the relocation of this migration organization to the Olympic city, tasking the prime minister, who considers himself a preferred ally of Trump in Europe, to strike a difficult balance to justify its presence.
The mayor of Milan, one of the co-host cities of the Olympics, called ICE “milicia que mata”. The radio is announcing RTL 102.5, Giuseppe Sala confirmed: “Esta claro que no son bienvenidos en Milan, de eso no hay duda.”
Senator Cristina Tajani of the Democratic Party (PD) condemned the organization’s image in recent months as “the furthest from the spirit of participation and coexistence” of the Olympic city.
Italia Viva, an opposition party led by ex-prime minister Matteo Renzi, went further, arguing that ICE agents should have been barred from entering Italy.
“ICE, Trump’s anti-immigration force, is a symbol of violence, repression, violence and human rights violations. Recognizing their presence in Italy is una locura,” the party wrote in X.
Minneapolis residents gather around a man-made statue at the site where ICE agents killed Alex Pretty.
Reuters
Even Maurizio Lupi, leader of the Neu Moderati party, one of Gobierno de Meloni’s coalition ICE participation in los Juegos del próximo mes has been criticized. La Repubblica al diario declared: “I am not fully aware.”
The Extrema izquierda Union USB has announced that it will hold an “ICE OUT – From Minneapolis to Milan” march in central Milan on February 6 to coincide with the opening ceremony.
Esta polemica contributes to the conflicting versions offered by Washington and Rome sobre el papel del ICE en suelo italiano.
The U.S. Embassy in Rome said it would support its representatives in the Diplomatic Security Service to reduce the risk of criminal organizations, while Italian Interior Minister Matteo Piantedosi previously said ICE would not operate on Italian soil, defending that security is the prerogative of the state.
Before such political confusion and tension could arise over the issue, the Meloni government had to meet with the American ambassador in Rome to “clarify” the presence of ICE agents at the Winter Olympics.
“We will clarify: no es que vengan a manteren el orden público en la street. They come to cooperate on the security of the American delegation,” Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani explained this Tuesday.
El ICE, en el ojo del huracan
Although ICE’s Division of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has been involved in major sporting events in the United States and abroad, including the Super Bowl in Paris or the 2024 Olympics, its presence is uncomfortable after the latest incident in Minnesota.
ICE agents shot and killed Alex Jeffrey Pretty, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse from Minneapolis.
The victim participated in an anti-immigration protest, was tackled to the ground by various agents, and video footage recorded by witnesses showed him immobilized when he was shot, casting doubt on the official version that he was shot in self-defense.
Alex J. Pretty was killed by ICE agents.
Just over a month ago, on January 7th, another Minneapolis neighbor, Renee Nicole Goode, a 37-year-old mother of three, was shot several times by an ICE agent while in her car during a raid.
The official version suggested that he intended to use the car as a weapon against the agents, but video footage and testimony showed that the vehicle was moving slowly and did not pose a threat, prompting an independent autopsy that documented multiple gunshot wounds to his family, including a fatal head wound.
Both killings sparked a wave of national outrage, massive protests, statements by human rights groups and the announcement of state and local investigations into the use of deadly force by Trump’s immigration agents.
Italy is hosting the 25th Winter Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina (North) from February 6 to 22, with athletes from 93 countries participating.
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