Vice President J.D. Vance on Friday will lead the American delegation to the opening ceremony of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, accompanied by Homeland Security Investigations.
Mr. Vance will be joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio, second lady Usha Vance, U.S. Ambassador to Italy Tilman Fertitta and a squad of Olympic gold medalists, the White House said in January.
President Trump will not attend the opening ceremony and is not listed as part of the delegation, according to the White House.
The Olympic champions include twin sisters Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson and Monique Lamoureux-Morando, members of the U.S. women’s ice hockey team that took home the gold in 2018; figure skater Evan Lysacek, who won in 2010; and Apolo Ohno, a two-time gold medalist in short track speed skating.
Homeland Security Investigations, a unit of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, will be present to support U.S. diplomatic security, not as an immigration initiative.
News of ICE’s potential presence at the 2026 Milan Cortina Winter Olympics prompted protests in Milan. “It is clear they are not welcome in Milan, without a doubt,” Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala said.
The HSI units will be stationed at a control room at the U.S. Consulate in Milan to support other U.S. law enforcement agencies, Italy’s Interior Ministry said later.
“Obviously, ICE does not conduct immigration enforcement operations in foreign countries,” Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement. “At the Olympics, ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations is supporting the U.S. Department of State’s Diplomatic Security Service and host nation to vet and mitigate risks from transnational criminal organizations.”
The opening ceremony will feature an Olympic first, but not from any athletes. The Parade of Nations will feature athletes led by national flag-bearers in Milan’s San Siro stadium and three other locations in a first-of-its-kind format: Cortina, Predazzo and Livigno.
This is the first time Olympic athletes have been introduced across multiple locations.
The competition will run through Feb. 22 among venues in Milan and northern Italy.
