Stand With Global Voices Standing Up to ICE

Across the world, people are speaking out — and they deserve our applause.

At the opening of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy, Vice President JD Vance was met with loud boos as thousands of people took to the streets to protest the U.S. decision to send ICE agents to the Games. From Milan’s plazas to the Olympic stands themselves, the message was unmistakable: militarized immigration enforcement and authoritarian policing have no place at a global celebration of sport.

These protests weren’t just about one official or one event. They were about rejecting the normalization of ICE — an agency widely criticized for violence, abuse, and human rights violations — and calling out the creeping militarization that too often follows mega-events like the Olympics. Local residents, activists, athletes, and international observers stood together to say that security should never come at the cost of dignity, democracy, or human life.

Even U.S. athletes spoke honestly about the tension of representing a country whose leaders are fueling fear and repression. That courage matters. So does the courage of the thousands who marched, jeered, and refused to stay silent while powerful figures tried to hide behind pageantry and spectacle.

Add your name to applaud the protesters, athletes, and global citizens who stood up to ICE, rejected authoritarian overreach, and reminded the world that democracy, human rights, and accountability don’t stop at national borders.