ICE Renamed 'NICE'
President Trump suggests renaming ICE to 'NICE' to counter 'fake news' coverage, requiring congressional approval.
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Key Points
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In the posts, Trump said “NICE” would stand for “National Immigration and Customs Enforcement” (not just an added “N”), and he tied the rebrand to forcing reporters into using positive-sounding phrasing like “We went to a NICE Facility today.”
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Trump’s social-media poll on Truth Social had specific traction figures at the time of reporting: 41,487 votes with 22 hours remaining, plus 3,300 reposts and over 10,000 likes.
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One report said the ICE-to-NICE idea had been circulating online since at least March 25, 2026, with Trump previously describing it as a “great idea” before he formalized it via the public poll.
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Coverage stressed a concrete legal obstacle beyond a generic “congressional approval” note: any rename would require Congress to approve legislation authorizing it—only then could the agency’s name be changed—and Trump’s June 20 Truth Social post “immediately reignited” debate over whether it was a serious policy proposal, political messaging, or trolling.
President Donald Trump proposed renaming Immigration and Customs Enforcement to "NICE" — short for National Immigration and Customs Enforcement — on June 20, 2026, launching a public poll on Truth Social and X to gauge support. The poll drew 41,487 votes, 3,300 reposts, and over 10,000 likes within hours, according to NY Post.
Trump framed the rebrand as a media troll. "For them to say, 'We went to a NICE Facility today,' as opposed to 'ICE'… they won't be able to handle it," he wrote, targeting what he called "Dumocrats and Fake News." But renaming a federal agency is not that simple — it requires an act of Congress, not a presidential post.
How a Social Media Joke Became a Presidential Poll
The idea did not start with Trump. Conservative commentators began pushing the "ICE to NICE" concept around March 25, 2026, with comedian Adam Carolla credited with popularizing it on Fox News. Trump called it a "GREAT IDEA!!!" in an April 26 Truth Social reply. By June 20, he turned it into a formal public vote, according to Cuba Headlines.
Trump also revealed a split inside his own team. Border Czar Tom Homan — a fierce defender of tough immigration enforcement — told Trump that ICE agents "do not love it as much as the other population," Head Topics reported. Rank-and-file officers reportedly see the "tough" image of the ICE name as part of their identity, and worry "NICE" could invite ridicule in the field.
Congress Holds the Only Key to a Real Name Change
ICE was created under the Homeland Security Act of 2002. That law names the agency in statute, meaning only Congress can officially change it. Trump cannot do it by executive order alone. A close parallel: in September 2025, Trump signed an order renaming the Department of Defense to the "Department of War," but legal experts noted "Department of War" could only serve as a secondary, ceremonial title — the statutory name stayed the same.
A full rebrand would also cost serious money. Estimates for the "Department of War" rename ranged from $10 million to $125 million just for staff time and digital updates — with some projections hitting $2 billion if uniforms, vehicle decals, and facility signs are all replaced. ICE operates hundreds of facilities and thousands of vehicles nationwide, according to Raw Story.
ICE's Tanking Approval Rating Shapes the Push to Rebrand
The name-change push did not come out of nowhere. ICE's image took a major hit after two U.S. citizens — Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti — were fatally shot during enforcement operations in Minneapolis in January 2026. A Fox News poll after the incident showed ICE's disapproval rating at 58%, up from 41% in 2018. CNN reported the agency's favorability was 17 points underwater by mid-2026.
Critics say the rebrand is a distraction. Rep. Ilhan Omar called ICE a "reprehensible agency" and said the name change would not alter its conduct. New York Governor Kathy Hochul dismissed the idea as "trolling" rather than policy, NY Daily News reported. The proposal also lands alongside the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which allocated $170 billion for immigration enforcement — including $45 billion for new detention centers Trump now wants to call "NICE Facilities."
What Actually Happens If Trump Pushes This Forward
Without congressional action, the most likely outcome is an executive order making "NICE" a secondary title — usable in press releases and social media posts, but not in legal filings, payroll systems, or official statutes. The agency's legal name would stay ICE. That is the same path the "Department of War" took in 2025, according to Cuba Headlines.
If the Republican-led Congress does move to amend the Homeland Security Act, a full transition could begin by late 2026 — triggering a costly procurement process for new badges, uniforms, and signage. For now, analysts and critics alike frame the June 20 post as more political messaging than concrete policy, Raw Story reported. The poll had 22 hours left to run when major outlets filed their reports.
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