Camilla Jessen
Springsteen drops protest song “Streets of Minneapolis”.
Bruce Springsteen has dropped a new song titled “Streets of Minneapolis” in response to recent shootings by US immigration enforcement agents in Minnesota, using his music to comment on national policy and unrest.
Springsteen wrote “Streets of Minneapolis” shortly after the killing of Alex Pretti and recorded it within days before releasing it to the public on January 28, 2026.
The song is framed as a protest against the actions of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies involved in a heightened immigration enforcement campaign in Minneapolis.
The protest track borrows its title from Springsteen’s own “Streets of Philadelphia” and blends folk-rock elements with pointed political commentary, narrating local events and challenging official narratives of the incidents.
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Tribute to victims
Springsteen dedicated the song “to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors, and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renée Good,” who were both fatally shot during federal operations in the city.
The lyrics describe confrontations between protesters and federal agents and criticise the role of the Department of Homeland Security and ICE — referring to them in the song as “King Trump’s private army.”
In announcing the song on social media, Springsteen said he wrote it “in response to the state terror being visited on the city of Minneapolis,” and urged listeners to “stay free.”
The track echoes Springsteen’s long history of addressing social and political issues through music, and it follows earlier statements and performances criticising federal enforcement and calling for accountability.
Sources: People Magazine, Time, The Guardian, Digi24
