ICE agents have no operational police role in Winter Olympics: Italy

‘We won’t spot thing connected nationalist territory that resembles what’s been seen successful the US,’ Italy’s interior curate says.

Agents from the divisive United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) bureau volition person nary operational relation successful the Winter Olympics, Italy’s interior curate has said days earlier the Milan-Cortina Games open.

ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), which is simply a abstracted investigative limb of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from the section carrying retired the US migration crackdown, volition operate wrong US diplomatic missions lone and “are not operational agents” and “have nary enforcement function”, Matteo Piantedosi told the Italian Parliament connected Wednesday.

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He said the outrage implicit the HSI presence, including the Milan mayor’s warning that they were not invited successful the metropolis during the February 6-22 Winter Games, was “completely unfounded”.

“ICE does not and volition ne'er beryllium capable to transportation retired operational constabulary activities connected our nationalist territory,” Piantedosi said.

The curate aimed to clarify the quality of the contentious deployment of ICE agents, which prompted protests successful the Italian metropolis.

“Security and nationalist bid are ensured exclusively by our constabulary forces,” helium said.

“During the Milan-Cortina Games, the members of this bureau volition beryllium engaged solely successful investigation and accusation speech with the Italian authorities,” helium added.

“The beingness of unit linked to the ICE bureau is surely not a abrupt and unilateral inaugural to undermine our nationalist sovereignty, arsenic immoderate person portrayed, but alternatively compliance with a legally binding planetary statement entered into by Italy.”

Last week, the US bureau said it volition enactment the “Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and big federation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational transgression organisations”.

Following the announcement, Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said ICE would not beryllium invited successful his city.

“This is simply a militia that kills … It’s wide that they are not invited successful Milan. There’s nary uncertainty astir it. Can’t we conscionable accidental nary to [US President Donald] Trump for once?” helium said successful an interrogation with RTL 102.5 radio.

ICE said its operations successful Italy are abstracted from the migration crackdown ordered by Trump successful the US.

The Italian interior curate confirmed that the agency’s relation would beryllium limited.

“We volition not spot thing connected nationalist territory that resembles what has been seen successful the media successful the United States,” Piantedosi said.

“The concerns that person inspired the contention of the past fewer days are truthful wholly unfounded, and this accusation allows maine to definitively dispel them.”