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European lawmakers have urged the EU to block US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) personnel from entering the continent following reports that the agency will be involved in security operations during the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics.
The controversy over their presence at the upcoming Games in Italy has been further fuelled by revelations of ICE’s business relationships with France-based IT multinational Capgemini.
Public outrage over ICE’s actions spiked after the fatal shooting deaths of two Minneapolis residents, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, by ICE officers in separate incidents this month.
In the US, ICE has faced accusations of excessive use of force, abuse of power, and violent conduct from politicians, advocacy groups and public figures.
Tensions further escalated when ICE’s investigative arm, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), confirmed that it would be “supporting” other law enforcement authorities to “vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organisations” during the Winter Games, scheduled to begin on 6 February.
‘Increased violence’ to impact Europeans, MEPs say
Several MEPs now argue that ICE should not operate on European soil, citing concerns over democratic accountability and respect for human rights.
“It is a snub to Italy by Trump,” socialist MEP Sandro Ruotolo told Euronews, arguing that the Olympics are being used as a showcase for ICE at a time when the agency is under fire back home.
“Trump took a step back by removing Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, but he cannot get rid of ICE entirely,” Ruotolo said.
“He is imposing ICE on the Italian government, reinforcing a top-down relationship with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. We will oppose this decision.”
On Tuesday, Manon Aubry and Martin Schirdewan, co-presidents of The Left group in the European Parliament, sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other institution leaders calling for “restrictive measures” against ICE agents and urging the EU to “prevent the entry of such forces onto its territory.”
They warned that what they described as escalating violence by the agency necessitates a firm response from the EU to protect its citizens and uphold human rights standards.
“The increased violence and repression of ICE will directly impact European citizens here,” the letter stated.
Liberal Renew Europe group also reacted to the news of ICE agents’ presence at the Olympics, stating in a post on X that “it is not acceptable”.
“In Europe, we do not want people who ignore human rights and avoid democratic control,” the group said. “Our union, our values, our rules.”
However, some MEPs do not share this view. Italian lawmaker Salvatore De Meo (EPP) told Euronews that there is not much to worry about.
“It is ridiculous to imagine that ICE agents would come to Italy with the same tasks assigned in Minneapolis,” De Meo said.
“During major international events, forms of cooperation and coordination with allied partners are an usual practice, in full respect of the rules and national sovereignty.”
According to De Meo, “turning a serious issue like security into an ideological controversy is irresponsible and does no service to the country.”
The European Commission declined to comment on the request on Wednesday, reiterating that security issues fall under national competence.
“National security is the sole responsibility of each member state. The Commission has no competence in this regard,” a Commission spokesperson told Euronews.
Tajani: ‘It is not the SS coming here’
According to the Italian Interior Ministry, ICE personnel would operate exclusively alongside Italian authorities in coordination centres.
The ministry stressed that the agents would not patrol public spaces or carry out immigration enforcement activities.
In an effort to calm tensions, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani quipped that “it is not the SS coming here,” and emphasised that the personnel involved are not the same as those engaged in controversial operations in the US.
Despite these assurances, opposition remains strong. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala has called for ICE agents to be barred, while protests have erupted in the Lombardy regional council and several petitions have been launched opposing their presence.
Italian opposition parties called for a rally in Milan next Saturday to protest against ICE’s presence. Participants are asked to carry whistles, commonly used by anti-ICE demonstrators in the US.
Trump and his administration have consistently defended ICE and its actions, citing success in reducing crime rates across the US. In turn, the US president has blamed Democrats for what he described as “chaos” of recent weeks.
“During the four years of crooked Joe Biden and Democrat failed leadership, tens of millions of illegal alien criminals poured into our country, including hundreds of thousands of convicted murderers, rapists, kidnappers, drug dealers, and terrorists,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform on Sunday evening.
“In the five Republican run states … ICE has arrested 150,245 criminal illegal aliens over the past year, with zero protests, riots, or chaos,” he added.
French company also under fire over ICE
Meanwhile, a separate controversy has emerged in France over an investigation that revealed French IT multinational company Capgemini’s US subsidiary provided ICE with “skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations.”
According to the L’Observatoire des multinationales report, Capgemini was awarded a contract worth up to $365 million (€305.3m), with an initial payment of $4.8 million (€4.01m) released in December.
The company has reportedly maintained contractual ties with ICE since at least 2007, some worth tens of millions of dollars. The findings sparked public backlash and prompted France’s Economy Minister Roland Lescure to seek clarification.
“I am calling on Capgemini to shed light in an extremely transparent manner on its activities — on this policy — and no doubt to question the very nature of those activities,” Lescure stated at the National Assembly in response to a question from a member of parliament.
In response, Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat said that the company’s US subsidiary operates under independent governance, with its own board and decision-making process.
As a result, he said, the Capgemini Group does not have access to CGS’ classified information or contractual arrangements.
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