ICE agents in Milan-Cortina, calls for ban on their entry sparks controversy in Brussels

Brussels –US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Italy for the Milan-Cortina Olympic Games: some in the EU are concerned, with the case ultimately overwhelming Italy, the host country of the event. The Left group in the European Parliament, which includes the Five Star Movement, has sent a letter to the presidents of all EU institutions calling for a ban on members of this federal agency, which is at the centre of controversy over the incidents in Minneapolis, from entering European soil.

“Following the murder of protesters by masked agents of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and growing evidence of arbitrary detention of migrants and refugees in the United States, The Left in the European Parliament has called for restrictive measures against ICE agents travelling to Europe,” as reads the letter signed on behalf of the entire group by co-presidents Manon Aubry and Martin Schierdevan.

Following the murder of protesters and widespread arbitrary detentions in the USA, ICE cannot be allowed in Europe.

We are calling for an immediate travel ban on all ICE agents.

This is now urgent following reports ICE will policy the Winter Olympics in Italy pic.twitter.com/qDgaI7S10M

— The Left in the European Parliament (@Left_EU) 27 January 2026

The European Commission is quick to respond: “National security is the sole responsibility of each Member State, as provided for in the Treaties” on the functioning of the EU, recalls Markus Lammert, spokesperson for the EU executive on justice issues. He clarifies that “the European Commission has no competence in this matter.” We must therefore turn to Rome and ask what the Italian government intends to do. 

However, Gaetano Pedullà, MEP for the Five Star Movement, disagrees. In his opinion, the European Union “has the legal instruments to prohibit entry into its territory” of those he does not hesitate to call “militants” responsible for “serious humanitarian violations in the United States.” According to the Five Star Movement member, this would involve using the provisions of Article 29 of the Treaty on European Union and Article 215 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union, which are those that provide for the possibility of imposing sanctions on persons and entities.

The head of the Lega delegation in Parliament, Paolo Borchia, holds back: “Regarding the possible presence of ICE agents at the Milan-Cortina Games, it is necessary to avoid misrepresentation and unnecessary alarmism,” he says bluntly. Here, he argues, “we are not talking about police operations on Italian territory, but rather activities to support the security of US delegations, as has always been the case at major international events.”