Bruce Springsteen Releases Powerful Anti-ICE Protest Song ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ Amid Ongoing Tensions
Rock legend Bruce Springsteen has unleashed a raw, urgent new protest track titled “Streets of Minneapolis,” which he dropped on January 28, 2026, in direct response to escalating immigration enforcement actions and tragic incidents in the Minnesota city.
The song, dedicated to “the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good,” quickly gained traction, reportedly hitting No. 1 on the iTunes Top Songs chart in the US shortly after its release. Springsteen described it as a reaction to what he called “state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis.”
Springsteen revealed he wrote the song on Saturday, January 24—the same day 37-year-old ICU nurse Alex Pretti was fatally shot by federal immigration agents during a confrontation. He recorded it the following day (Tuesday) and released it Wednesday. The track honors Pretti alongside Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three killed by an ICE agent on January 7 amid similar operations.
The lyrics pull no punches, channeling Springsteen’s signature working-class storytelling with sharp political edge. Opening sparsely before building into a full-band arrangement featuring harmonica and the E Street Choir, the song paints a vivid picture of winter unrest:
- “Through the winter’s ice and cold / Down Nicollet Avenue / A city aflame fought fire and ice / ‘Neath an occupier’s boots”
- “King Trump’s private army from the DHS / Guns belted to their coats / Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law / Or so their story goes”
- References to chants of “ICE out now,” critiques of administration figures, and lines like “If your skin is black or brown my friend / You can be questioned or deported on sight”
The track echoes Springsteen’s history of protest music, drawing on folk influences while addressing contemporary events: widespread protests against aggressive ICE raids under the Trump administration, resulting in violence, fatalities, and community outrage.
Reactions have been polarized. Supporters of immigrant rights and protesters have hailed it as a timely, heartfelt call for justice, praising its urgency and solidarity with those affected. Critics, however, have dismissed it as overly partisan or “woke,” arguing it sacrifices nuance for direct confrontation.
Available as official audio on platforms like YouTube, “Streets of Minneapolis” stands as one of Springsteen’s most explicitly charged releases in recent years. In a time of heightened national division over immigration policy, the song captures immediate fury and hope, reminding listeners of the power of music to document and challenge the moment.
Whether it endures as a classic anthem or remains a flashpoint of the current crisis, “Streets of Minneapolis” has already sparked widespread conversation—and debate—across the country.
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