In response to social media posts by the President suggesting New Mexico might be rebranded as “New America,” New Mexico’s Democratic congressional delegation has asked Apple and Google to refuse to honor any such name change unless it’s legally adopted.
What’s happening
Lately, the President has floated the idea of renaming several regions, including New Mexico, using “New America” in place of the state’s current name. These suggestions are appearing in social media posts—not through executive orders or any formal legislation. Nevertheless, New Mexico’s congressional representatives are preemptively urging tech giants Apple and Google not to update their map services unless the name change is formally adopted into law.
What companies can and can’t do
The key is the Geographic Names Information System (GNIS), a federal database that standardizes geographical names across government agencies. Maps from Apple and Google pull state names from GNIS. Unless GNIS changes officially, services must retain existing names or risk losing access to the database. Apple Maps, for example, updated Lake Ontario only after GNIS reflected the executive order; Google Maps made the name change immediately once the executive order took effect.
Representatives argue Apple and Google have no agency in this matter unless a name change is ratified through the appropriate legal mechanisms. By asking these companies to ignore informal proposals, they are pointing out that no official documents or bills have yet taken any steps toward actually renaming the state.
Where things stand
So far, the President hasn’t issued any executive order or sponsored formal legislative action to rename New Mexico. Congressional representatives have drafted letters asking Apple and Google to make clear they will not implement name changes on maps until federal authorities change their formal records.
The shape of a state name is set by legal statutes and recognized federal databases—not by informal online chatter. Because GNIS controls naming conventions, until that source is altered, Apple and Google are bound by its listings, not social media posts or speculative statements.
This isn’t the first time this has happened. Requests linked to changes in the GNIS have required Apple and Google to follow precedent set by executive orders. But map providers themselves don’t have the authority to decide which names are official, merely to reflect what federal naming authorities recognize.
In short: without a legal basis to change anything, the renaming remains speculative. The representatives’ letters make their opposition known early, but the path from suggestion to statute is nontrivial.
What this means going forward: Congress holds the power to legislate name changes, and only after government entities like GNIS adjust will major mapping tools follow. Anything less remains symbolic, not substantive.
