American rock legend Bruce Springsteen has released a stark new protest song, Streets of Minneapolis, directly targeting former US president Donald Trump and the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The track marks one of Springsteen’s most explicit musical interventions in years, blending mourning, anger, and political accusation into a tightly focused narrative rooted in real events.
A Song Dedicated to the Victims
Springsteen has dedicated Streets of Minneapolis to “the people of Minneapolis, our immigrant neighbours and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good”, two US citizens killed earlier this month during an ICE operation in Minnesota.
The song names both victims directly, a deliberate choice that grounds the lyrics in lived reality rather than metaphor. “We’ll remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis,” Springsteen sings, before continuing: “Two dead left to die on snow-filled streets / Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
A Title With a History
The song’s title is a clear reference to Springsteen’s Oscar-winning 1994 track Streets of Philadelphia. While that earlier song explored isolation and personal grief, Streets of Minneapolis shifts sharply toward collective loss and political responsibility, transforming the familiar “Streets of…” motif into a protest framework.
Direct Confrontation With Power
Springsteen pulls no punches in his criticism of the Trump administration. In one of the song’s most striking lines, he sings: “King Trump’s private army from the DHS / Guns belted to their coats,” a reference to federal immigration enforcement operating under the Department of Homeland Security.
The lyrics also take aim at senior figures in the administration, accusing Trump adviser Stephen Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem of spreading false claims that the victims were “domestic terrorists”.
“Their claim was self-defence, sir / Just don’t believe your eyes,” Springsteen sings. “It’s our blood and bones / And these whistles and phones / Against Miller and Noem’s dirty lies.”
‘State Terror’ in Minneapolis
Announcing the release on Instagram, Springsteen said he wrote the song “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,” he wrote, signing off with the words: “Stay free.”
The song follows recent on-stage remarks in New Jersey, where Springsteen told ICE to “get the f*ck out of Minneapolis”, comments that quickly went viral and reignited debate over immigration enforcement tactics in the US.
A Longstanding Clash With Trump
Streets of Minneapolis is the latest chapter in Springsteen’s long-running public confrontation with Donald Trump.
During the 2024 US election campaign, Springsteen endorsed Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and accused Trump of aspiring to become an “American tyrant”, saying he “does not understand this country, its history, or what it means to be deeply American”.
Trump has repeatedly responded by attacking the musician personally, calling him “highly overrated” and an “obnoxious jerk”, and at one point demanding a “major investigation” into Springsteen.
Music as Political Memory
With Streets of Minneapolis, Springsteen returns to a familiar role: chronicler, witness, and protest singer. The track positions music not as commentary from a distance, but as a form of political memory — naming the dead, questioning power, and insisting that certain stories should not be allowed to fade.