Bruce Springsteen released “Streets of Minneapolis” on Wednesday, a protest song condemning Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations in the city and memorializing two people fatally shot by federal agents.
The song honors Renee Macklin Good and Alex Pretti, who were killed by federal agents this month, according to multiple news reports. Springsteen wrote on social media that he created the track rapidly in response to events unfolding in Minneapolis.
The musician stated he wrote the song on Saturday, recorded it the following day, and released it Wednesday. He dedicated the track to the people of Minneapolis, their immigrant neighbors, and the memories of Good and Pretti.
The full-band rock song features the E Street Choir and addresses what Springsteen characterized on social media as violence perpetrated by immigration enforcement in the Minnesota city. Earlier this month at the Light of Day festival in New Jersey, he dedicated a performance of “The Promised Land” to Good and echoed Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey’s public criticism of ICE operations.
Springsteen has a decades-long history of writing politically charged music and has been critical of President Donald Trump’s policies since 2016.
Following Pretti’s death on Saturday, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem characterized his actions as threatening to officers, according to news reports. The song’s lyrics reference conflicting accounts between eyewitness videos and official government statements about the incidents.
The track is currently available on YouTube and major streaming platforms.
