The Boss Strikes a Chord Against Trump’s ICE Agenda

Bruce Springsteen has released a new protest song aimed at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, prompting a sharp response from the Trump administration. Titled Streets of Minneapolis, the track was released on Wednesday and directly criticizes ICE’s presence in Minneapolis, Minnesota, as well as former President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.

In the song, Springsteen makes explicit political references, describing Trump as “King Trump” and characterizing the Department of Homeland Security as the president’s “private army.” The song arrives amid heightened tensions surrounding ICE operations in Minneapolis and reflects Springsteen’s long-standing opposition to the agency and the administration’s broader immigration agenda.

Take a listen:

The White House addressed the song in a statement issued to The Hollywood Reporter on Thursday. Spokesperson Abigail Jackson dismissed the track as politically motivated and inaccurate, stating that the administration remains focused on public safety rather than responding to celebrity criticism.

“The Trump administration is focused on encouraging state and local Democrats to work with federal law enforcement officers on removing dangerous criminal illegal aliens from their communities – not random songs with irrelevant opinions and inaccurate information,” Jackson said. She also accused Democratic leaders of refusing to cooperate with federal authorities and instead providing sanctuary for undocumented immigrants with criminal records.

Following the song’s release, Springsteen shared a statement on social media explaining the rapid creation of the track. According to the musician, Streets of Minneapolis was written on Saturday, recorded the following day, and released immediately in response to events unfolding in the city.

“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. He added that the song is dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, immigrant communities, and to the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.

Pretti and Good were identified as two U.S. citizens reportedly shot and killed by ICE agents during operations in Minneapolis, with Good acting as a legal observer at the time of her death.

Springsteen has been vocal in his criticism of Trump’s immigration policies in recent weeks. Earlier this month, during a concert in New Jersey, he called for ICE to “get the fuck out of Minneapolis.” Trump responded the following day on Truth Social, deriding Springsteen as “a dried-out prune of a rocker” and dismissing both his music and his political views.

The release of Streets of Minneapolis follows a similar protest effort from English singer-songwriter Billy Bragg, who unveiled his own anti-ICE track, City of Heroes, on Thursday.