Italian Journalists Threatened by US ICE Agents, Prompting Outcry in Italy

Two Italian journalists working for the public broadcaster RAI were reportedly threatened by officers from the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while covering federal enforcement activities in Minneapolis, Minnesota, earlier this month, sparking political controversy and public backlash in Italy. The incident, which was captured on video, has drawn strong reactions from opposition politicians and press freedom advocates in Rome.

According to footage posted on social media by the Italian news programme In Mezz’Ora, correspondents Laura Cappon and Daniele Babbo were inside a vehicle attempting to document ICE operations in the city. As they followed a vehicle believed to be used by agents, ICE personnel reportedly surrounded the journalists’ car and demanded they lower their window. Despite the reporters identifying themselves as press, the agents allegedly warned, “if you keep following us … we will break your window and pull you out of the vehicle,” according to published reports based on the video. The journalists then refused to comply, and the agents eventually returned to their vehicle and departed.

The confrontation occurred against the backdrop of heightened tensions in the United States over ICE’s domestic enforcement actions, drawing particular scrutiny from Italian political figures. Members of the Italian opposition, including former prime minister Giuseppe Conte, publicly condemned the encounter and called on the government of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to lodge a diplomatic protest with the United States. Critics described the threat to journalists as unacceptable and a violation of press freedoms, emphasizing that the reporters were performing routine coverage rather than engaging in hostile activities.

While ICE did not immediately comment publicly on the specific incident involving the RAI journalists, broader controversy surrounds ICE’s operations following recent violent encounters involving the agency’s enforcement divisions in the United States. Opposition voices in Italy have linked the Minnesota episode to wider concerns about ICE’s reputation and tactics, especially as ICE personnel are expected to play a supportive role in security cooperation for high-profile international events such as the upcoming Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina.

The incident highlights ongoing challenges for foreign correspondents covering law enforcement activities abroad and underscores broader debates about press freedom, diplomatic engagement, and the protections afforded to journalists operating in potentially hostile environments.