The US team’s quarters at the Winter Olympics in Milan have been given a new name: It’s now called Winter House (winter house) and no longer, as previously planned, Ice House (ice house). This emerges from a statement from the US sports associations for figure skating, speed skating and ice hockey.

The renaming is probably related to the controversial deployment of officials from the immigration agency ICE. They sometimes brutally dealt with protesters against their operations in Minneapolis; two people were killed.

There is also anger in Italy that ICE officers are supposed to come to the Olympics accompanied by US officials. Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani emphasized that Italian security forces were exclusively responsible for maintaining public order. At a rally on the weekend in Milan Posters like No Ice could be seen in Milano.

The US team has moved into its official quarters in a five-star hotel in Milan, where receptions will also take place. The name Winter House reflects the vision of a “private space without distractions” for the athletes and is also related to the season. The US athletes are accommodated in the Olympic Village.