A long-planned Olympic hospitality space in Milan for American athletes and their loved ones has been rebranded from Ice House to Winter House, officials from U.S. Figure skating, USA Hockey and US Speedskating confirmed to The Athletic on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
The three Olympic bodies unveiled plans for the state-of-the-art space in September. The decision to rename it, which was first reported by USA Today<\/a>, comes after widespread protests in both the United States and Milan over the presence and conduct of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. The Department of Homeland Security has confirmed that ICE will be present<\/a> for the Winter Olympics to bolster security, despite pushback from the host country.<\/p>\n \u201cOur hospitality concept was designed to be a private space free of distractions where athletes, their families, and friends can come together to celebrate the unique experience of the Winter Games,\u201d officials from the three U.S. sports bodies said in a statement. \u201cThis name captures that vision and connects to the season and the event.\u201d<\/p>\n Amber Glenn, American figure skater and medal hopeful, told reporters after practice in Milan on Monday that renaming the hospitality space was wise.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s unfortunate that the term \u2018ice\u2019 isn\u2019t something we can embrace because of what\u2019s happening and the implications of what some individuals are doing,\u201d she told reporters.<\/p>\n \u201cUnfortunately, in my own country, it is very upsetting and very distressing to see. And I can\u2019t imagine how people who have been impacted by that directly feel. So I think it\u2019s wise that we change something as minute as a name if it is able to make anyone feel more comfortable.\u201d<\/p>\n The prospect of ICE having any kind of role at the Olympics has prompted outcry in Italy, with local officials seeking to clarify the roles of American agents and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security specifying that ICE would not attempt to conduct enforcement operations.<\/p>\n