The U.S. had a mix of boos and cheers by spectators during the opening ceremony’s Parade of Athletes of the 2026 Milano Cortina Winter Olympics.

The ceremony, which aired Friday at 11 a.m. PST, featured a showcase of Italian art and culture. Athletes then entered by country, beginning with Greece, the birthplace of the Olympics, followed by nations in alphabetical order in the host countries language.

The U.S. delegation faced a mixed chorus of jeers and cheers. However, cheers from fans seemed to overtake the boos directed at Team USA.

USA Today reported boos erupted when U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Second Lady Usha Vance appeared on the stadium’s jumbotron, drawing loud boos from the crowd.

The Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry addressed that it was possible that the U.S. team would be booed before the ceremony, HuffPost reported. Coventry said that she was hoping the ceremony would be respectful.

Israel was also booed while Ukraine received a huge embrace by the crowd.

Protests in Milan Against US Immigration Agents

Earlier in the day, hundreds of protesters rallied in Milan against the presence of U.S. immigration agents and street closures ahead of the games, Reuters reported. Demonstrators chanted slogans, blew whistles, and set off flares, criticizing the deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Italy.

The protests focused on ICE’s role in President Donald Trump’s deportation policies, with banners reading “ICE OUT” and “ICE should be in my drinks not my city.” Student-led demonstrators also directed messages at visiting Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio, urging them to leave the city.

Plastic whistles, a symbol of anti-ICE rallies in the United States, were widely used as the protesters voiced their opposition.

The U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee said no agents from ICE were providing security for Team USA.

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