A graffiti mural depicting U.S. President Donald Trump dressed as an Immigration and Customs Enforcement agent appeared in Milan during the Winter Olympics, surfacing just steps from Olympic activity and reigniting attention around immigration enforcement as the Games unfold in northern Italy.
The artwork, which shows Trump holding the Olympic rings, was displayed near an abandoned bus shelter close to Bastioni di Porta Volta, an area not far from Olympic sites. According to Newsweek, its appearance comes as the presence of U.S. Homeland Security personnel at the Milano Cortina 2026 Games has drawn scrutiny from local officials and activists.
The mural was created by Italian street artist aleXsandro Palombo, who said the location and imagery were intentional. The shelter where the artwork appeared has become an informal refuge for unhoused people, many of them migrants. Palombo said placing the mural there was meant to highlight realities that sit just outside the polished image cities present during global events.
Donald Trump depicted as ICE agent at Olympics 2026, mural by aleXsandro Palombo #ice #DonaldTrump #Olympics #Olympics2026 #WinterOIympics pic.twitter.com/xA2IZmpGI3
— aleXsandro Palombo (@PalomboArtist) February 9, 2026
“I used the Olympic rings because they represent the last great shared utopia,” Palombo told Newsweek. “They are the symbol that promises a united world, without barriers.” He said that promise, in his view, is increasingly under strain.
Italian authorities have confirmed that agents from the Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations unit are present in Milan during the Games in a limited advisory capacity. Officials said the personnel are based at the U.S. Consulate and do not have law enforcement authority on Italian soil.
HSI is a subdivision of ICE that typically focuses on transnational crimes such as human trafficking, drug smuggling, cybercrime and immigration fraud. Its involvement in the Olympics has nonetheless drawn attention because of ICE’s role in U.S. immigration enforcement under the Trump administration.
Had to laugh when PM Carney reminded Trump who would be winning the Olympic hockey game today between Canada and the U.S. It will clearly be Canada.
PS Nobody boos 🇨🇦 😂😂
Note: Trump is never bothered by facts. He spews whatever numbers & delusional beliefs pop in his head. pic.twitter.com/ikpRWzFKhB
— KB in the PNW-Resisting since 1964 (@KirstyBain65) February 10, 2026
Italy’s Interior Ministry said the U.S. personnel are assigned to consult databases and assist with coordination, not to conduct operations. Milan Mayor Giuseppe Sala publicly criticized the agency’s presence, saying ICE was not welcome in the city.
Palombo said the mural was also shaped by recent events in the United States. Protests against ICE intensified last month following the deaths of two U.S. citizens during federal immigration operations in Minneapolis. Renée Good, a poet and mother of three, was fatally shot on January 7, and Alex Pretti, an intensive care nurse, was killed on January 24.
“The artwork recalls episodes that deeply shook public opinion,” Palombo said, describing the deaths as moments that forced broader questions about the exercise of state power.
American Olympics athletes protest Trump’s brutal treatment of aliens in a nation built by aliens and remembered throughout history# pic.twitter.com/09fxPbCf9U
— Eddie Mekasha (@mekashaeddie1) February 10, 2026
The mural appeared during an Olympics already marked by political tension. At the opening ceremony in Milan’s San Siro stadium, American athletes initially received loud applause. But Vice President JD Vance and second lady Usha Vance were booed by the crowd. The reaction surprised U.S. officials. Trump later said he did not understand why Vance receive a chilly reception.
As delegations continue to arrive, public attention has increasingly drifted beyond sport, as people debate about politics and power in the greater scheme of things. The Trump mural remained visible for several hours before being partially covered. Photos of the artwork circulated widely online, extending its reach far beyond the Milan street where it first appeared.
