Rock legend Bruce Springsteen has delivered a blistering condemnation of President Donald Trump and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), using a surprise concert appearance to honour a woman shot dead by an officer from the agency.
A Fiery Dedicaton at a Winterfest Benefit
The 76-year-old musician made an unannounced appearance at the Light of Day Winterfest in his home state of New Jersey on 17 January 2026. The annual event raises money for Parkinson's disease and related neurological conditions. While introducing his 1978 classic, "The Promised Land," Springsteen shifted focus to the political climate and a recent tragedy.
"I wrote this song as an ode to American possibility," Springsteen told the crowd. "Right now we are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the value for which it stood for the past 250 years, is being tested like it has never been in modern times."
He then launched into a direct attack, stating: "If you believe in the power of law and that no one stands above it, if you stand against heavily-armed masked federal troops invading an American city, 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 echoed the explicit demand of Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, urging that "ICE should get the f*** out of Minneapolis." He concluded by dedicating the performance: "This song is for you and the memory of the mother of three and an American citizen, Renee Good."
The Incident That Sparked Nationwide Outrage
The dedication was for Renee Good, a Minneapolis resident and American citizen who was fatally shot by an ICE officer on 7 January 2026. Her death has triggered sustained protests across the United States, with demonstrators demanding accountability.
These protests have often clashed with law enforcement, particularly in Minneapolis, where ICE is currently conducting its largest-ever immigration enforcement operation. The unrest is also fuelled by a separate, earlier shooting in Portland where Border Patrol agents wounded two individuals.
Minneapolis Mayor Frey was unequivocal in his response to the federal agents deployed after the shooting, mirroring Springsteen's language: "Get the f*** out." He condemned the killing as the act of "an agent recklessly using power that resulted in somebody dying, getting killed."
A Growing Chorus of Celebrity Criticism
Springsteen is not alone in using his platform to criticise the Trump administration in the wake of these events. His remarks join a growing wave of high-profile condemnations.
Just days earlier at the Golden Globe Awards, actor Mark Ruffalo labelled Trump the "worst human being" during a red carpet interview. "If we're relying on this guy's morality for the most powerful country in the world, then we're all in a lot of trouble," Ruffalo told USA Today.
He dedicated his comments to Good and "the people in the United States who are terrorized and scared today," adding, "what I'm seeing here happening is not America." Ruffalo and numerous other attendees at the ceremony wore buttons bearing the slogans "BE GOOD" and "ICE OUT" in a clear tribute to the slain woman.
Springsteen, a long-time critic of the President, has publicly clashed with Trump before. His latest, impassioned intervention at a charity event underscores the deepening cultural and political fractures in America, as the actions of federal agencies spark grief, anger, and high-profile rebukes.
