Bruce Springsteen is using his voice as an artist to protest against ICE officers. In his protest song “Streets of Minneapolis” released on Wednesday, he criticizes federal government officials and sings his support of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, two U.S. citizens who were killed by ICE officers in January.
Bruce Springsteen’s new song calls out ICE
Springsteen said he penned “Streets of Minneapolis” in response to the presence of ICE in Minneapolis.
“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 captioned his Instagram post. “It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good.”
He added, “Stay free” before signing his name.
The song features audio from the Minneapolis protests. Throughout the track, Springsteen calls out “King Trump’s private army from the DHS” and refers to his “federal thugs.”
“Oh our Minneapolis, I hear your voice,” he sings, per CBS News. “Singing through the bloody mist/ We’ll take our stand for this land/ And the stranger in our midst.”
“Streets of Minneapolis” ends with chants of “ICE Out!”
Springsteen also comes to the defense of Pretti and Good, whose killings were alleged by ICE to be in self-defense, according to the DHS.
“Their claim was self defense, 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.”
Bruce Springsteen has been critical of Trump and ICE
The release of the song follows his comments made regarding anti-ICE protests. Earlier in January, Springsteen dedicated his performance of “The Promised Land” to Good during an appearance at New Jersey’s Light of Day festival, according to NPR.
Last spring, Springsteen went on tour in England and told the crowd that the U.S. “is currently in the hands of a corrupt, incompetent and treasonous administration,” CBS News reported.
Trump responded to Springsteen’s comments by calling him “overrated” and a “dried out prune of a rocker.”