American singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen, aka The Boss, on Wednesday released a new song, Streets of Minneapolis, condemning President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown in Minnesota’s largest city.
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis. It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbours and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good,” the 20-time Grammy-winning musician wrote on Instagram.
The lyrics of the song paint a picture of the ongoing political unrest in the city.
“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,” Springsteen sings. “And there were bloody footprints / Where mercy should have stood / And two dead, left to die on snow-filled streets / Alex Pretti and Renee Good,” the lyrics further read.
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is currently carrying out a large-scale enforcement drive in Minnesota known as Operation Metro Surge. Launched in December 2025, this operation has deployed approximately 2,000 to 3,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis–St. Paul area and broader Minnesota. Tensions escalated earlier this month following the fatal shootings of two U.S. citizens by federal agents during operations — Renee Good on January 7 and Alex Pretti on January 24.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson told multiple news portals in a statement following the release of Springsteen’s song that “the Trump administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities — not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information.”
Political commentary has long been a part of Springsteen’s work. During the 2024 presidential elections, he called Trump the “most dangerous candidate for president in his lifetime.” The 76-year-old music icon released a six-track live EP last year featuring performances in Manchester, England, including an introduction to the title song in which he said the U.S. was “in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration”.
Earlier this month, during a surprise performance at a concert in New Jersey, Springsteen dedicated his performance of the 1978 song The Promised Land to Renee Good.
Trump hit back at the singer in a Truth Social post, saying Springsteen “ought to keep his mouth shut” and called for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame member to be investigated.
In his newly released song, Springsteen also slammed the Trump administration's claims that federal agents acted in self-defence when they shot Good and Pretti.
“Their claim was self-defence, sir/ Just don’t believe your eyes/ It’s our blood and bones/ And these whistles and phones/ Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies,” read the lyrics.
Following Saturday’s shooting, White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller referred to Pretti as a “would-be assassin”. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem said the 37-year-old nurse was “brandishing” a gun and has claimed that both Pretti and Good had committed acts of “domestic terrorism.” Trump and other administration officials have similarly defended the shootings, asserting that Pretti and Good posed a threat to federal officers. However, video footage of both incidents contradicts such accounts.
Apart from Springsteen, pop star Billie Eilish, singer Olivia Rodrigo, country star Zach Bryan and Stranger Things star Joe Keery have also publicly taken a stand against Trump’s immigration crackdown.