Bruce Springsteen made his first live performance of the new protest song 'Streets of Minneapolis' at a benefit concert in the city on January 31, 2026. The event, organized by Tom Morello, aimed to raise funds for the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, who were fatally shot by ICE agents. The performance highlighted ongoing protests against ICE actions amid national tensions.
On January 31, 2026, Bruce Springsteen surprised attendees at the 'A Concert of Solidarity & Resistance to Defend Minnesota!' held at Minneapolis' First Avenue club. The benefit show, organized by Rage Against the Machine guitarist Tom Morello, sought to support the families of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, two U.S. citizens killed by ICE agents in the city. Springsteen debuted his newly written anti-ICE song 'Streets of Minneapolis,' which denounces the killings and federal actions, to cheers from the crowd.
Before performing, Springsteen shared the song's origins: “I wrote this song and I recorded it the next day, and I sent it to Tom Morello.” He noted telling Morello it felt 'kinda soapboxy,' to which the guitarist replied, “Bruce, nuance is wonderful, but sometimes you have to kick them in the teeth.” Dedicating the track, Springsteen said, “So this is for the people of Minneapolis, Minnesota, and the people of our good country, the United States of America.” As he sang lines like “In our chants of ‘ICE out now’/Our city’s heart and soul persists/Through broken glass and bloody tears/On the streets of Minneapolis,” the audience raised fists and chanted “ICE Out now!” Morello later joined Springsteen for a rendition of “The Ghost of Tom Joad.”
The song, released earlier that week, responds to what Springsteen called 'state terror' in Minneapolis. In a statement upon release, he explained: “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 neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free, Bruce Springsteen.” Lyrics reference “King Trump’s private army from the DHS” arriving in the city.
The White House dismissed the track as 'random' and 'irrelevant.' Spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated, “The Trump administration is … not [focused on] random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information,” pivoting to criticize Democrats for sanctuary policies. Despite this, the song quickly amassed millions of YouTube views, joining other protest tracks from artists like Ice-T, who adapted 'Cop Killer' to 'ICE Killer,' and Billy Bragg's 'City of Heroes' tributing Minneapolis protesters.
Protests have escalated nationwide, including a general strike on January 30-31 demanding ICE and CBP removal. At least eight deaths linked to ICE occurred since early 2026, fueling calls from figures like Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey and Governor Tim Walz to end ICE's city presence. Trump supporters maintain agents acted in self-defense, while some Republicans urge reining in the agency to avert a shutdown.
