Several European parliamentarians have called on the EU to implement restrictive policies against ICE, arguing that the agency should be barred from operating in Europe due to concerns over democratic oversight and human rights compliance.
Members of the European Parliament have requested that US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff be prohibited from entering Europe in light of reports indicating the agency’s involvement in security operations at the Milan–Cortina Winter Olympics.
The debate around their deployment at the forthcoming Games in Italy intensified following disclosures of ICE’s commercial ties with French IT multinational Capgemini.
Public indignation towards ICE heightened after two residents of Minneapolis, Renée Good and Alex Pretti, were fatally shot by ICE agents in separate events earlier this month.
Within the United States, ICE has been accused by politicians, advocacy organizations, and public figures of excessive force, misuse of authority, and violent behavior.
The situation escalated further when ICE’s investigative division, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), confirmed its role in “supporting” other law enforcement bodies to “vet and mitigate threats posed by transnational criminal groups” during the Winter Games, which commence on 6 February.
‘Escalating violence’ to affect Europeans, say MEPs
Several Members of the European Parliament now contend that ICE’s operations should be banned within Europe, citing issues related to democratic responsibility and human rights adherence.
“This is an affront to Italy by Trump,” stated socialist MEP Sandro Ruotolo to Euronews, asserting that the Olympics are being exploited to showcase ICE while the agency faces criticism domestically.
“Trump took a step back by removing Border Patrol Commander Gregory Bovino, yet he cannot entirely eliminate ICE,” Ruotolo added.
“He is imposing ICE participation on the Italian government, strengthening a top-down dynamic with Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. We intend to oppose this move.”
On Tuesday, Manon Aubry and Martin Schirdewan, co-leaders of The Left group in the European Parliament, sent a letter to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and other institutional leaders advocating “restrictive measures” against ICE officers and calling on the EU to “block such forces from entering its territory.”
They warned that the agency’s growing violence demands a decisive EU response to safeguard its citizens and ensure compliance with human rights standards.
“The escalating violence and repression by ICE will directly affect European citizens here,” their letter stated.
The liberal Renew Europe group also expressed opposition to the presence of ICE agents at the Olympics, declaring in an X post that «this is unacceptable».
«Europe does not welcome individuals who disregard human rights and evade democratic oversight,» the group declared. «Our union, our principles, our regulations.»
Nevertheless, some MEPs hold a differing opinion. Italian legislator Salvatore De Meo (EPP) told Euronews that there is little cause for concern.
“It is unrealistic to believe that ICE officers would come to Italy performing the same roles assigned to them in Minneapolis,” De Meo remarked.
“During significant international events, cooperation and coordination among allied partners are standard practices, always respecting national sovereignty and regulations.”
De Meo added that “transforming a serious matter like security into an ideological dispute is irresponsible and does not benefit the country.”
The European Commission declined to comment on the matter on Wednesday, reiterating that security affairs fall under the jurisdiction of individual member states.
“National security remains the exclusive responsibility of each member state. The Commission holds no authority in this domain,” a Commission spokesperson told Euronews.
Tajani: ‘This is not the SS coming here’
The Italian Interior Ministry stated that ICE personnel would work exclusively with Italian officials within coordination centres.
The ministry emphasized that the agents would have no role patrolling public areas or conducting immigration enforcement tasks.
Attempting to ease tensions, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani remarked, “This is not the SS arriving here,” and stressed that the personnel involved differ from those participating in controversial operations in the US.
Despite these reassurances, opposition remains intense. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala has called for a ban on ICE agents, protests have erupted in the Lombardy regional council, and multiple petitions opposing their presence have been initiated.
Italian opposition parties have organized a demonstration in Milan next Saturday against ICE’s presence, advising participants to bring whistles typically used by anti-ICE protesters in the US.
Trump and his administration have consistently defended ICE and its actions, citing reductions in crime rates across the US. Meanwhile, the former president has blamed Democrats for what he described as recent «chaos.»
«During the four years of crooked Joe Biden and Democrat leadership failures, tens of millions of criminal illegal aliens entered our country, including hundreds of thousands of convicted murderers, rapists, kidnappers, drug dealers, and terrorists,» Trump posted on his Truth Social platform on Sunday evening.
«In the five Republican-run states … ICE arrested 150,245 criminal illegal aliens over the past year without any protests, riots, or chaos,» he added.
French company also criticized over ICE ties
Meanwhile, a separate controversy arose in France following a report revealing that Capgemini’s US subsidiary provided ICE with “skip tracing services for enforcement and removal operations.”
The L’Observatoire des multinationales report indicated that Capgemini secured a contract valued at up to $365 million (€305.3m), with an initial payment of $4.8 million (€4.01m) made in December.
The company has reportedly maintained contractual relationships with ICE since at least 2007, with some agreements worth tens of millions of dollars. These revelations sparked public backlash and led France’s Economy Minister Roland Lescure to demand clarifications.
“I am urging Capgemini to provide extremely transparent explanations about its activities—this policy—and undoubtedly to reconsider the nature of these operations,” Lescure declared at the National Assembly in response to a parliamentarian’s inquiry.
In reply, Capgemini CEO Aiman Ezzat stated that the company’s US subsidiary operates under independent governance, with its own board and decision-making bodies.
Consequently, he affirmed, the Capgemini Group does not have access to CGS’s classified information or contracts.