By Taiwo Scholarstica
United States President Donald Trump has suggested changing the name of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency to “NICE” by adding the letter “N” for “National,” saying the move would frustrate critics in the media and the Democratic Party.
Trump made the proposal in a post on his official X account on Saturday, where he also launched a poll seeking public opinion on the idea.
According to the president, ICE officers are “great patriots” who work under difficult conditions and have been unfairly portrayed by what he described as the “fake news media.” He argued that changing the agency’s name to “National Immigration and Customs Enforcement” (NICE) would make it harder for critics to speak negatively about the agency.
Trump said journalists would be forced to use the new name when reporting on immigration enforcement activities. He joked that phrases such as “NICE agents deported a violent drug dealer” or “We visited a NICE facility” would leave critics uncomfortable.
The president described the proposed name as more prestigious and said he had considered the idea for some time. However, he acknowledged that not everyone within the agency supports the change.
Trump revealed that former acting ICE Director Tom Homan informed him that many agents were not as enthusiastic about the proposal as members of the public.
The president ended his post by asking followers whether they supported adding an “N” to ICE to create the new name.
The suggestion comes as immigration remains a major issue in the United States. ICE continues to receive strong backing from conservatives who support stricter border enforcement and deportation policies, while critics accuse the agency of using overly aggressive tactics.
The proposal sparked mixed reactions on X. Supporters responded with humour and approval, while critics dismissed the idea and questioned its significance.
As of press time, the proposal had not been formally introduced as government policy, and neither ICE officials nor the Department of Homeland Security had issued an official response.