Swiss Journal of Research in Business and Social Sciences

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Bruce Springsteen’s Anti-ICE Song ‘Streets of Minneapolis’


Bruce Springsteen has responded to the recent killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis at the hands of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection agents with a new song titled “Streets of Minneapolis.”

You can listen to the song and read the lyrics below.

“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,” Springsteen wrote on Facebook. “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.”

Listen to Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Streets of Minneapolis’

READ MORE: The Best Song From Every Bruce Springsteen Album

What Happened to Alex Pretti and Renee Good?

On Jan. 24, federal agents in Minneapolis fatally shot Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old intensive care nurse who appeared to be using his phone to record U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers. Videos show agents pinning Pretti to the ground and hitting him, and one officer leaving with what appears to be a gun.

Pretti’s death marked the second fatal Minneapolis shooting by a federal agent this month, following the Jan. 7 shooting of Renee Good by ICE agent Jonathan Ross. Both deaths have led to nationwide calls for more thorough investigations and the removal of ICE from Minneapolis.

How Did Other Rockers React to the Killings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti?

Springsteen is not the first rock artist to react to the murders of Good and Pretti. Graham Nash issued a lengthy statement denouncing ICE and President Donald Trump while also taking stock of his large catalog of protest songs.

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“So I’ll say it again… after just watching a bunch of thugs who call themselves ‘agents’ kill yet another human being: F**K ICE,” Nash said. “And since these murderers are part of a government sanctioned agency I’ll say this and don’t bother getting mad about it: F**K TRUMP too.”

READ MORE: Rockers React to ‘Insane’ Border Patrol Killing of Alex Pretti

Journey guitarist Neal Schon also reacted to the killing of Pretti with a concise post on X (formerly Twitter), writing, “This is f—ing insane and it all needs to stop.”

Famously outspoken guitarist Tom Morello reshared several anti-ICE posts following Pretti’s death and referred to the agency as “masked federal government secret police murdering US citizens” in an exchange with another X user.

Bruce Springsteen, ‘Streets of Minneapolis’ Lyrics

Through the winter’s ice and cold
Down Nicollet Avenue
A city aflame fought fire and ice
‘Neath an occupier’s boots
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
Against smoke and rubber bullets
By the dawn’s early light
Citizens stood for justice
Their voices ringing through the night
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

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
We’ll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
Here in our home they killed and roamed
In the winter of ’26
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

Trump’s federal thugs beat up on
His face and his chest
Then we heard the gunshots
And Alex Pretti lay in the snow, dead
Their claim was self defense, 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

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody mist
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

Now they say they’re here to uphold the law
But they trample on our rights
If your skin is black or brown my friend
You can be questioned or deported on sight

In chants of ICE out now
Our city’s heart and soul persists
Through broken glass and bloody tears
On the streets of Minneapolis

Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody mist
Here in our home they killed and roamed
In the winter of ’26
We’ll take our stand for this land
And the stranger in our midst
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
We’ll remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis

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Sarah Parker
Sarah Parker is a research analyst and content contributor with a strong interest in business strategy, organizational behavior, and social development. With a background in sociology and public policy, she focuses on exploring the intersection between research and real-world application. Sarah regularly contributes articles that bridge academic insights and practical relevance, aiming to foster critical thinking and innovation across sectors.