Bruce Springsteen Rips Into ICE During Surprise New Jersey Benefit Set: ‘ICE Should Get The F—K Out Of Minneapolis’

Bruce Springsteen walked onstage at a charity gig in New Jersey and sounded off…

On Saturday (January 17th), The Boss made a surprise appearance at the 2026 Light of Day Winterfest at the Count Basie Theater in Red Bank, delivering an unannounced performance that quickly turned into something heavier than a greatest hits moment.

As reported by Billboard, before launching into his 1978 track ‘The Promised Land’, Springsteen aimed straight at the Trump administration and ICE, dropping a blunt statement that didn’t leave much room for interpretation.

“I wrote this song as an ode to American possibility,” Springsteen said.

“Right now we are living through incredibly critical times. The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years, is being tested like it has never been in modern times. Those values and those ideals have never been as endangered as they are right now.”

He continued:

“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, as the mayor of the city said: ICE should get the f—k out of Minneapolis. This song is for you and the memory of the mother of three and an American citizen, Renee Good.”

Minneapolis shooting

Springsteen’s remarks come after the death of Renee Good, a 37 year old mother of three, who was fatally shot during an ICE operation in Minneapolis earlier this month. U.S. Department of Homeland Security officials alleged Good was attempting to “run over” an officer when she tried to drive away, according to reports.

The festival itself raises funds for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, and featured a stacked lineup including Goo Goo Dolls’ John Rzeznik, Dramarama, Willie Nile, and more.

Springsteen’s not exactly new to calling out Trump either, in a 2025 interview with The New York Times, he described the situation as: “It’s an American tragedy,” adding, “It was ripe for a demagogue.”