President Trump on Sunday endorsed the idea of changing the name of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to National Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which would give the agency the acronym NICE.
The idea was promoted by conservative influencer Alyssa Marie last month. “I want Trump to change ICE to NICE (National Immigration and Customs Enforcement) so the media has to say NICE agents all day everyday,” Marie wrote in a March post on social platform X.
Late Sunday evening, the president publicly endorsed the switch. “GREAT IDEA!!! DO IT,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post.
A White House spokesperson responded to a comment request by referring Fox News Digital to the president’s Truth Social post. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later shared an article reporting on Trump’s boost for the idea.
Other conservative influencers chimed in with statements of support. “100% agree! Make it happen, @SecMullinDHS!” Nick Sortor wrote in a post on X, urging Secretary of Homeland Security Markwayne Mullin to support the change.
Origins of the Idea
The viral idea was first pushed by comedian Adam Carolla during a Fox News interview. The concept appears to have originated as a joke or rhetorical suggestion from comedian Adam Carolla. He floated it publicly around late 2025 (with mentions of him discussing it on shows like Jesse Watters’ program in that timeframe), proposing a minor rebrand by adding “National” so the acronym becomes NICE.
It quickly spread as a viral meme on social media (especially Facebook, Instagram, X/Twitter, and TikTok) in late 2025 and early 2026. Supporters amplified it as “weaponized branding” or political trolling to counter anti-ICE rhetoric.
Congressional Action Would Be Required
A federal agency name change typically requires congressional action through legislation to amend the statutory authority that established the agency.
The ICE name-change proposal comes as immigration remains a sore spot for Trump’s approval and the agency remains unfunded amid a standoff in Congress. Earlier this month, senators unanimously approved a bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), with the exception of ICE and Border Patrol.
On Thursday, the Senate adopted a budget reconciliation framework to fund ICE and Border Patrol for 3 1/2 years, seen as a potential first step in convincing skeptical House Republicans to move on the other Senate-passed bill.
Online Reaction
The proposal highlights a new era of political communication where linguistic framing is used as a tactical weapon to shift public perception of US immigration enforcement in 2026. What started as a single post on X has become a full-blown online debate, blending politics, satire, and meme culture.
The Trump administration has been aiming to secure the border and crack down on illegal immigrants. Some Democrats advocate for abolishing ICE.