WASHINGTON — Bruce Springsteen has unveiled a powerful protest song in the wake of the fatal incident involving Alex Pretti and federal agents in Minneapolis. The track takes aim at the immigration enforcement policies implemented by the Trump administration.

Titled “Streets of Minneapolis,” the song, released on Wednesday, pays homage to the city, its immigrant community, and the memories of both Pretti and Renee Good, who also lost her life during a recent federal operation.

Springsteen expressed, “I crafted this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday, and today it’s out for you, addressing the state terror inflicted upon Minneapolis. It’s a tribute to the residents of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors, and in remembrance of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Stay free.”

The track, which starts with an acoustic vibe before evolving into a full-band sound, features a resonant chant, “ICE out of Minneapolis.” Springsteen’s lyrics vividly depict “a city aflame” amidst what he describes as an occupation, with federal agents labeled as “King Trump’s private army from the DHS.”

The song directly names the Pretti and Good, with Springsteen singing, “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 track closes with a call to remember them and to “take our stand for this land and the stranger in our midst.”

The title is reminiscent of Springsteen’s Oscar-winning 1994 song “Streets of Philadelphia,” written for the film “Philadelphia,” which was about the AIDS epidemic. 

Throughout his career, Springsteen has frequently used music to respond to political and social issues, like with the songs “American Skin (41 Shots)” and “We Take Care of Our Own.”

This release follows Springsteen’s recent public comments condemning federal immigration actions. Earlier this month, he made a surprise appearance at a benefit concert in New Jersey, where he dedicated a song to Good and urged federal agents to leave Minneapolis. During that performance, he said the country’s core values were being tested and criticized the use of masked federal officers in American cities.

“Right now, we are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years is being tested as it has never been in modern times. Those values and those ideals have never been as in danger as they are right now,” Springsteen said. 

The White House responded at the time by defending the actions of federal agents and dismissing Springsteen’s comments as being “bad.” 

Over the years, the singer songwriter has spoken out against Trump.

In spring 2025, Springsteen and Trump got into a back-and-forth spat after the rocker called the president “incompetent” and “corrupt.” In response, Trump called Springsteen a “dried out prune of a rocker.”