Just days after Alex Pretti was killed by United States Customs and Border Protection officers in Minneapolis, Bruce Springsteen responded with an angry Phil Ochs-style protest song. The title “Streets of Minneapolis” denounces “Trump’s federal thugs,” the “dirty lies of [Stephen] Miller and [Kristi] Noem” and demands that ICE leave the city immediately.
“I wrote this song on Saturday, recorded it yesterday and released it to you today in response to the state terror being unleashed on the city of Minneapolis,” Springsteen said in a statement. “It is dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors, and the memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Remain free. Bruce Springsteen.”
Before Pretti’s death, Springsteen made a surprise appearance at the Light of Day Benefit in Red Bank, New Jersey. There he condemned ICE and the senseless killing of Renee Good. “If you believe in the power of law and that no one is above the law,” he said.
An immediate musical commentary on Minneapolis
“If you stand up to heavily armed, masked federal officers occupying an American city and using Gestapo methods against our fellow citizens, if you believe you should not be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then you are sending this president a message – as the city’s mayor said: ICE should get the hell out of Minneapolis.”
“Streets of Minneapolis” comes from exactly this feeling of sadness and anger. “Trump’s federal thugs beat him in the face and chest,” Springsteen sings. “Then we heard the shots / And Alex Pretti lay dead in the snow / They claim self-defense, sir / Just don’t believe your eyes / It’s our blood and our bones / And those pipes and phones / Against the dirty lies of Miller and Noem / Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice.”
Previous public appearances and clear words against ICE
In the end he expressly declares his solidarity with the cause. “We will take a stand for this country,” he sings. “And to the stranger in our midst / We will remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis / We will remember the names of those who died / On the streets of Minneapolis.”
The title “Streets of Minneapolis” is a reference to Springsteen’s 1994 Oscar-winning song “Streets of Philadelphia,” written for the soundtrack to “Philadelphia.” He has released many period-related songs throughout his career, including “American Skin (41 Shots),” “We Take Care of Our Own,” and “Living in the Future.” However, he has never reacted so quickly to a current event. (He wrote the thematic song “Roulette” six days after the Three Mile Island accident, but did not release it until years later.)
Springsteen’s plans for the current year are unclear. He told ROLLING STONE in June 2025 that he had completed a new solo album, which he planned to release at an unspecified date in the near future.
“Streets of Minneapolis” lyrics
Through the winter’s ice and cold
Down Nicollet Ave
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 ring 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 country
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 country
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
In German:
Through the ice winter and the cold
Down Nicollet Avenue
A burning city battled with fire and ice
Under the boots of an occupier
King Trump’s private army from DHS
Weapons strapped to their coats
Came to Minneapolis to enforce the law
At least that’s their story
Against smoke and rubber bullets
In the early morning light
Citizens stood for justice
Their voices echoed through the night
And there were bloody footprints
Where mercy should have been
And two dead, left behind on snowy streets
Alex Pretti and Renee Good
Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody fog
We will take a stand for this country
And for the stranger in our midst
Here in our home they killed and rampaged
In the winter of ’26
We will remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
Trump’s federal thugs struck
In his face and chest
Then we heard the shots
And Alex Pretti was dead in the snow
You claim self-defense, sir
Just don’t believe your eyes
It is our blood and our bones
And those pipes and telephones
Against the dirty lies of Miller and Noem
Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Crying through the bloody fog
We will remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
Now they say they are here to uphold the law
But they trample on our rights
If your skin is black or brown, my friend
Can you be checked or deported on the spot?
In chants of “ICE out now”
Holds the heart and soul of our city
Through broken glass and bloody tears
On the streets of Minneapolis
Oh, our Minneapolis, I hear your voice
Singing through the bloody fog
Here in our home they killed and rampaged
In the winter of ’26
We will take a stand for this country
And for the stranger in our midst
We will remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
We will remember the names of those who died
On the streets of Minneapolis
