Bruce Springsteen drops anti-ICE song after Minneapolis shootings
Bruce Springsteen denounced President Donald Trump in a new protest song released Wednesday, "Streets of Minneapolis."
The Boss wrote the anti-ICE anthem over the weekend in honor of "innocent immigrant neighbors" and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, who were both shot and killed this month while protesting immigration crackdowns 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 shared online. "It’s dedicated to the people of Minneapolis, our innocent immigrant neighbors and in memory of Alex Pretti and Renee Good."
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He added, "Stay free, Bruce Springsteen."
Federal authorities described Pretti, a U.S. citizen, as an armed agitator who was a threat to immigration officers after the fatal shooting on Jan. 24. But videos showed Pretti’s hands were only holding a phone moments before a masked Border Patrol officer opened fire on him following a scuffle with multiple agents.
Pretti's death in Minneapolis comes weeks after Renee Good, a U.S. citizen, was repeatedly shot by an ICE officer. Videos show she was turning the wheels of her Honda Pilot away from officer Jonathan Ross when he opened fire. Trump administration officials have repeatedly defended Ross, claiming his life was at risk.
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The "Dancing in the Dark" musician railed against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security in the four-minute clip.
"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," lyrics state. "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."
He added, "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."
Billy Joel's ex-wife, Christie Brinkley, was moved by the music and shared the tune on her own Instagram page.
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"I have always maintained that love is stronger than hate," she wrote. "I believe the arts, music, poetry, painting dancing are also born from love. The Arts bring us together, unite us .. they can make us laugh,or cry at the same time. They stir emotions and make us think often from a new perspective. And when things get really dark they can lead us back to the light."
Springsteen previously dedicated a version of "The Promised Land" to Good while performing in New Jersey.
"If you believe in democracy, in liberty, if you believe that truth still matters, that it’s worth speaking out, that it is worth fighting for, if you believe in the power of the law and no one stands above it, if you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading American cities and using Gestapo tactics against our fellow citizens, if you believe you don’t deserve to be murdered for exercising your American right to protest, then send a message to this president," Springsteen told the crowd at the Light of Day festival.
Fox News Digital's Lauryn Overhultz contributed to this report.