U.S. News
Olympic Skiers Distance Themselves from ICE
Clear Facts
- Team USA freestyle skiers expressed opposition to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at a press conference.
- Chris Lillis and Hunter Hess stated they support the country but do not represent every policy or action.
- Officials reportedly renamed the “ICE House” hospitality lounge to “Winter House” in response to concerns.
Several members of Team USA’s freestyle ski team voiced their disapproval of ICE’s actions during a press conference at the Winter Olympics.
Chris Lillis and Hunter Hess made it clear that, while they support representing the United States, they do not endorse every government action.
“I feel heartbroken about what’s happened in the United States ….. I’m pretty sure you’re referencing ICE, and some of the protests and things like that,” Lillis stated.
Lillis added the United States should “focus on respecting everybody’s rights and making sure that we’re treating our citizens as well as anybody with love and respect.”
Hunter Hess noted the difficulty of proudly wearing Team USA uniforms while disagreeing with certain policies.
“Just because I’m wearing the flag doesn’t mean I represent everything that’s going on in the U.S.,” Hess added.
Alex Ferreira highlighted the importance of the Olympics in promoting peace during uncertain times.
“Let’s not only bring world peace, but domestic peace within our country as well, hopefully,” Ferreira said.
Officials renamed the athlete hospitality area from “ICE House” to “Winter House,” reflecting growing concerns from athletes.
Amber Glenn, a Team USA figure skater, commented that it was “unfortunate that the term ICE isn’t something we can embrace because of what’s happening and the implications of what some individuals are doing.”
Let us know what you think, please share your thoughts in the comments below.
Frank Beaty
February 7, 2026 at 5:58 pm
Ice and ICE are two very different things, only shallow minds believe they are the same. If Minnesota, Illinois and California respected the Law of the United States we wouldn’t have the issues we are having there.
Mark
February 8, 2026 at 2:34 am
It’s amazing how unpopular ICE’s over-the-top actions are throughout the USA, even in deep red areas. For example, in Salt Lake County, Oklahoma, rural Virginia and seaside Oregon, the local populations have come out in droves and stopped ICE from buying huge warehouse to use as internment centers. And Democrats continue to flip state legislative seats in ruby-red areas, most recently in Texas (Senate) and Louisiana (House), in part because of widespread public disapproval of ICE. It seems that Americans really want to preserve their freedoms from Big Government.
Alex
February 8, 2026 at 5:46 pm
Regarding this article, It’s really a shame that Hunter Hess has difficulty wearing the Team USA uniform. I think if he really
disagreed with certain policies, he could have stayed home to protest and avoid the stress. Just my thoughts.