Bruce Springsteen Releases Protest Song Targeting ICE Actions After Minneapolis Killings
A powerful new protest song by Bruce Springsteen openly confronts immigration enforcement in Minneapolis, marking one of his most politically forthright moments. Springsteen answered recent events involving federal immigration authorities and the deaths of two people in separate confrontations with “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he wrote and recorded in days.
Springsteen said he wrote the song in response to Minneapolis immigrant communities’ dread and violence. He dedicated the song to the city’s citizens, especially immigrants, and to Alex Pretti and Renee Good, whose deaths have sparked public debate.
U.S. Border Patrol shot and killed 37-year-old Minneapolis protester Alex Pretti. A Minneapolis suburb street confrontation with an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer killed 37-year-old mother of three Renee Good days earlier. Both events sparked national outrage and condemnation of federal immigration enforcement.
In “Streets of Minneapolis,” Springsteen directly criticizes ICE and DHS as occupying forces and power abusers. Springsteen publicly condemns President Donald Trump and key administration officials, including Homeland Security, for federally authorized violence.
The lyrics emphasize recollection and accountability by naming Pretti and Good. Springsteen ties the song with American protest music through harmonica-driven folk rock and dramatic narration, mirroring Pete Seeger, whom he has long recognized as a mentor.
This release follows Springsteen’s unscripted statement at the Count Basie Center for the Arts in Red Bank, New Jersey, denouncing ICE actions in Minneapolis. At that point, he urged audiences to protest aggressive federal policing in American cities and dedicated “The Promised Land” to Renee Good.
Springsteen has been politically active for decades, but “Streets of Minneapolis” directly criticizes federal institutions and officials. It is considered his greatest public criticism of Trump administration immigration enforcement.
Springsteen has opposed Trump before. He has actively denounced Trump since 2016 and supported Democratic candidates in subsequent elections. Trump reacted harshly on social media in 2025 after Springsteen made scathing remarks at a concert in England.
Springsteen seems unfazed by criticism. With “Streets of Minneapolis,” he uses music to highlight the human cost of immigration enforcement and remember lives lost. The song confirms his opinion that artists must speak out amid national crises, especially when civil liberties and human dignity are at stake.
Sources
U.S. Department of Homeland Security
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
U.S. Customs and Border Protection
