Milan mayor’s brutal message after reports
Giuseppe Sala’s outburst did more than criticize a security plan;
it exposed a raw clash of values between an American agency and a
European host city. His description of ICE as a force that
“enters into the homes of people, signing their own permission slips”
struck a nerve in Italy, where memories of heavy-handed policing and
authoritarianism still shape public debate. For many Italians,
the idea of armed foreign agents patrolling Olympic venues feels like a step too far.
U.S. officials insist the mission is narrow: protect athletes, diplomats,
and monitor cross-border crime, with no immigration enforcement and
full Italian command.
Yet the backlash reveals how deeply ICE’s reputation now precedes it.
As the opening ceremony approaches,
the standoff has become a test of sovereignty,
trust, and what “security”
should look like on the world’s biggest stage.
