US President Donald Trump on Saturday suggested renaming the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency ICE to “NICE” by adding the letter “N” for “National,” claiming the change would confuse critics in the media and the Democratic Party.
In a post shared on his official X handle on Saturday, the president set a poll, writing, “POLL: ICE has been abused by the Fake News Media at levels never seen before. They are Great Patriots who work hard and do a fantastic job in a very hostile environment.
“Much of this hostility is caused by the Dumocrats and the Fake News. The concept I have had for quite some time — A strong feeling that the name of these Patriots, ‘ICE,’ should be changed to ‘NICE,’ in that it will totally discombobulate crooked, dishonest, and unpatriotic reporters and journalists.”
Elaborating on the logic behind the proposed rebrand, Trump argued that reporters and critics would find themselves forced to use positive-sounding terminology when reporting on immigration enforcement activities.
He continued, “For them to say, ‘We went to a NICE Facility today,’ as opposed to ‘ICE’ or ‘NICE Agents have deported a violent drug dealer,’ they won’t be able to handle it, they will go totally crazy! All it means is adding an ‘N’ (‘National’) to ‘ICE (‘Immigration and Customs Enforcement’), a much more prestigious name.”
The president acknowledged, however, that the idea has faced some resistance from within the agency’s leadership ranks. Trump noted that while “everyone loves it,” he had been informed by the “legendary” Tom Homan, the former acting director of ICE and a staunch border enforcement advocate, that “the Agents do not love it as much as the other population.”
Trump concluded his statement by throwing the question open, “Who thinks that we should add an ‘N’ to change the name of ‘ICE’ to ‘NICE?’ Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT.”
The proposal comes amid ongoing debates over immigration enforcement in the United States, where ICE has faced both strong support from conservatives for its deportation operations and criticism from opponents who accuse it of overly aggressive tactics.
Trump has frequently defended the agency and positioned it as central to his administration’s immigration priorities.
The post quickly sparked a wave of reactions on X, reflecting the polarised nature of discussions around Trump and US immigration policy. Supporters largely embraced the idea with humour and enthusiasm.
#ValentinaForUSA wrote “ICE needs to deport ALL the Muslims, Somalis & Haitians. They do nothing productive for America. While #GuntherEagleman stated, “I support our NICE agents!”
Critics, however, mocked the suggestion or used it to highlight other issues.
#RpsAgainstTrump commented, “Once again, laser-focused on what truly matters. Resign!” As #unifilvet reacted bluntly, “What are you talking about!?”
The proposal has not yet been formally advanced as policy, and reactions from ICE officials or the Department of Homeland Security were not immediately available as of press time.
