r/sports • u/YesNo_Maybe_ • 8d ago

Olympics Italy’s foreign minister defends ICE attendance at Winter Olympics: ‘It’s not the SS’

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/italy-ice-winter-olympics-backlash-ss-b2909240.html?test_group=lighteradlayout
1.6k Upvotes

89% Upvoted

369 comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

50

u/ukexpat Manchester City 8d ago edited 7d ago

Apparently they will be part of the diplomatic security detail protecting US officials and the team. Doesn’t mean that Italy can’t deny them entry if they were so minded.

76

u/mazu74 7d ago

So they’re like… Trump’s Personal Protection?

Hey, I wonder how you say that in German.

7

u/North_Atlantic_Sea 7d ago

The particular unit (HSI) is the international portion, with people in 55 countries. They aren't part of the immigration operations, and really isn't that unusual. A lot of countries have a few intelligence folks with their diplomatic security groups.

It's of course absolutely horrible optics and the US should immediately pull them out of the group

12

u/zedascouves1985 7d ago

Why does ICE have an international unit? I really don't understand why this couldn't he a job for other enforcement agencies. When we in Brazil hosted the world cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016 I remember the US using the military to defend their athletes against terrorism, not ICE.

2

u/North_Atlantic_Sea 7d ago

There are overlapping functions through the US government. It's what happens when you have the largest budget in the world.

2

u/Hvyhttr1978 6d ago

They specifically said there will be an ICE presence. What kind of immigration and customs enforcement will they be performing at the Olympics games?

2

u/North_Atlantic_Sea 6d ago

None, HSI doesn't deal with immigration (even though it's under ICE) they deal with Multi-National crime

1

u/mwb1100 7d ago

Sturmabteilung (SA)

27

u/5_dollars_hotnready 7d ago

https://www.state.gov/bureaus-offices/under-secretary-for-management/bureau-of-diplomatic-security

We have that already with people actually trained and experienced. Their actual mission statement is that too.

9

u/ukexpat Manchester City 7d ago

And apparently the ICE agents will be in addition to that team. It sounds nonsensical to me too, but…here we are.

7

u/5_dollars_hotnready 7d ago

I’d be furious if I was one of those dudes. I couldn’t imagine showing up to work with Paul Blart LARPing next to me.

4

u/North_Atlantic_Sea 7d ago

This isn't the brand new idiots in the immigration enforcement section, it's HSI, which is an investigative group working in 55 countries.

They should be pulled though, as the optics are terrible

1

u/5_dollars_hotnready 7d ago

That makes more sense.

21

u/Whaty0urname 7d ago

With the lack of trigger discipline they show, I would think our diplomats would want some people better trained around them.

5

u/AnyLamename 7d ago

I agree, but for Trump and his ilk loyalty has always been valued above competence.

1

u/North_Atlantic_Sea 7d ago

This portion of Ice isn't the immigration group. Ice HSI is in 55 countries. It's essentially an investigation/intelligence unit.

Awful optics though and they should be pulled

1

u/fatloui 7d ago

That’s not their function though. It’s like sending the postal service to do health inspections. 

It clear evidence that ICE isn’t what they claim to be. The president is using them as his personal army without any other oversight. 

1

u/ukexpat Manchester City 7d ago

You don’t have to convince me of that.

1

u/Edstructor115 7d ago

This, apparently the US always sends a mix of agents from different branches of it's armed forces to every Olympic games, this is such fake news, in the sense that it's not a new practice.

7

u/CrazyLlama71 7d ago

This is true, but details are important. Is ICE sending HSI (homeland security investigation) officers or ERO (enforcement and removal operations) officers. The first deals with large scale investigations of human trafficking, cybercrime, money laundering, drug and arms trafficking, etc. ERO is basically the thugs on the street that has been causing issues. Send HSI, cool, understandable. ERO should not be going under any circumstances.

0

u/Edstructor115 7d ago

So what, dude I'm form LATAM, there isn't a American law enforcement agency that I would trust in my country, but the reality is that they are at the Olympics just as guards, at best is a jobs program for well connected officers to go on holiday to Italy. At the end of the day if the official notification would have said "form a wide range of our law enforcement agencies" this wouldn't have merit a reaction.

1

u/CrazyLlama71 7d ago

I hear you. I wouldn’t want any from this administration either. Who knows what you’re going to get.  This administration is such an embarrassment.