'For The People Of Minneapolis': Springsteen Performs New ICE Protest Song At Solidarity Show

Last Updated:February 01, 2026, 09:09 IST

Bruce Springsteen debuted 'Streets of Minneapolis' in Minneapolis, honoring Alex Pretti and Renee Good, criticising ICE actions under Trump administration.

Springsteen said he wrote the song within 24 hours in response to what he described as “state terror” in the city. (Image: Reuters/File)

Rock legend Bruce Springsteen, who recently released a song to protest the deadly ICE actions, performed the new tune at a solidarity concert in Minneapolis on Friday.

Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the show and performed, paying tribute to two people killed by federal agents in January amid an immigration crackdown under President Donald Trump’s administration.

Springsteen said he wrote and recorded the song, titled ‘Streets of Minneapolis’, within 24 hours in response to what he described as “state terror" in the city, where thousands of heavily armed federal agents have been deployed. The operation has sparked nationwide outrage after two US citizens, Alex Pretti and Renee Good, were shot dead within weeks of each other.

Addressing the audience, Springsteen said the song was written for “the people of Minneapolis, the people of Minnesota, and the people of our good country, the United States of America," AFP reported.

The veteran musician revealed that after finishing the song, he shared it with Tom Morello, former frontman of Rage Against The Machine. Recalling the exchange, Springsteen joked that he worried the lyrics were “soapboxey," but Morello encouraged him, saying, “Nuance is wonderful, but sometimes you have to kick them in the teeth."

The song delivers scathing criticism of the immigration agents, referring to them as “King Trump’s private army" wearing “occupiers’ boots," and opens with a verse naming the two victims killed on the city’s snow-covered streets.

The title echoes Springsteen’s 1994 hit ‘Streets of Philadelphia’, reinforcing the song’s somber and political tone. Known for socially conscious anthems such as ‘Born in the USA’ and ‘The River’, Springsteen has long used his music to address injustice and working-class struggles.

During the 2024 presidential campaign, Springsteen publicly backed Democrat Kamala Harris and warned that Trump was seeking to become an “American tyrant." Trump has since attempted to ease tensions over the Minneapolis operation by reshuffling immigration leadership.

Springsteen has sold over 140 million records worldwide, cementing his status as one of the most influential artists of his generation.

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