The news that ICE agents will assist U.S. diplomatic security at the Milano Cortina Winter Olympics should be common-sense, not a cause for international drama. Instead of thanking skilled American professionals who will protect our officials and delegations, Milan’s mayor chose to hurl insults and tell the United States to stay home. That kind of performative outrage from European elites is exactly what Americans are tired of — posturing over safety while expecting our country to quietly do the heavy lifting.
Let’s be clear about what’s actually happening: Homeland Security Investigations will support the U.S. State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service in vetting transnational threats, not running immigration enforcement at the Games, and Italian authorities will retain operational control. This is routine cooperation at major international events and it safeguards U.S. leaders attending the opening ceremonies, including our vice president and secretary of state. To pretend that sending experienced agents to coordinate security is some sort of overreach is either political theater or ignorance.
The mayor’s slur — calling ICE a “militia that kills” and asking if Italy can “say no to Trump” — reveals more about his politics than about American law enforcement. Conservative readers know real security work is messy, unpopular at times, and necessary; it is not a branding exercise for progressive virtue. When foreign politicians demonize the agencies tasked with keeping Americans safe, they are siding with grievance and spectacle over safety and common sense.
Yes, America has been rocked by the tragic shootings in Minneapolis and those incidents deserve thorough, transparent investigations. But the reflexive weaponization of tragedy into a diplomatic rebuke of our security forces is partisan and irresponsible. No one who cares about safety should let bad actors — criminal cartels or terrorists — exploit political squabbles between governments while media-driven narratives attempt to strip our officers of legitimacy mid-operation.
The Olympics are a magnet for transnational criminals, cyber threats, and targeted attacks on delegations; neutralizing those risks requires seasoned investigators who know how to follow criminal networks across borders. HSI has that expertise. Turning down capable partners because of domestic political theater is not only foolish — it is dangerous for the very citizens and officials these leaders claim to protect.
It’s also rich to hear European politicians lecture the United States on democratic values while they posture and politicize security decisions. If Milan’s leaders truly believed they could handle every threat without help, they would welcome cooperation and hold helpful discussions about roles and oversight. Instead they opt for headlines, undermining a cooperative approach that has kept delegations safe at past Games.
Patriots should stand behind the men and women who volunteer for difficult, dangerous work defending our country’s interests abroad. ICE agents who are asked to assist with diplomatic security are professionals doing a job that matters to every American, from veterans to families cheering on Team USA. Let’s not allow virtue-signaling and leftist theater to hamstring practical security measures at an international event where stakes are high.
If Italy wants to protect its citizens and guests during the Milano Cortina Games, it should take help when it’s offered and focus on collaboration, not cheap political shots. Hardworking Americans know the truth: safety isn’t a slogan, it’s the outcome of training, sacrifice, and cooperation — and when our people step up, we should back them, not scold them.
