US President Donald Trump has floated the idea of renaming Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to "NICE", saying the change would be part of a public poll and could help reshape perceptions of the agency amid ongoing debate over illegal immigration policies by his administration.
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said he has long considered the idea of rebranding the agency by adding an "N", which he said would stand for "National".
"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," Trump wrote, adding that much of the criticism is driven by Democrats and media outlets.
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He suggested that renaming the agency to "NICE" would "totally discombobulate" journalists and change public perception of enforcement operations.
"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!" the post added.
Trump clarified that the proposed change would involve adding an "N" to ICE, referring to Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to create a "more prestigious name" and also said that the idea had been discussed with Trump administration official Tom Homan, noting that enforcement agents themselves may not fully support the proposal.
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"Everyone loves it, but I have been told by the legendary Tom Homan that the Agents do not love it as much as the other population," Trump added in his post.
The proposal has sparked attention amid broader political debates in the United States over immigration enforcement and border security.
According to The New York Post, the president's comments about potentially rebranding ICE to "NICE" come amid recent weeks of clashes between protesters and law enforcement outside the Delaney Hall migrant detention facility in Newark.
The report noted that several out-of-state individuals were arrested during what it described as a chaotic standoff outside the facility.
The New York Post also reported that at least two of those detained had links to the Sunrise Movement, a progressive nonprofit involved in campaigns calling for the closure of Delaney Hall and the abolition of ICE, based on social media information.
The New York Post further referenced earlier unrest tied to the killing of Alex Pretti and Rene Good during anti-ICE protests in Minneapolis in January, which it said became a rallying point for activists.
The Homeland Security Act of 2002 initially created the Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, but the acronym "BICE" never gained traction, and the Department of Homeland Security officially adopted the name "ICE" in 2007.
