In January, ICE agents killed two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, while attempting to arrest and deport undocumented men, women, and children on President Donald Trump’s orders. Those deaths and the violent manner in which ICE operates have sparked protests in Minnesota and around the world. They’ve also caught the attention of activist-minded musicians, including Bruce Springsteen, NOFX, and My Morning Jacket, who have released songs and albums condemning the government agency. Here is a list of the most damning ICE protest songs.
Bruce Springsteen, “Streets of Minneapolis”
With a title that recalls another protest song Springsteen wrote, “Streets of Philadelphia,” which addressed the AIDS crisis, “Streets of Minneapolis” narrates the arrival of “Trump’s thugs” in the city and how their actions led to “two dead, left to die on snow-filled streets,” naming Good and Pretti. “We’ll remember the names of those who died on the streets of Minneapolis,” he sings in the chorus. The song ends with protesters chanting, “ICE out, ICE out.”
My Morning Jacket, Peacelands
In late January, My Morning Jacket released a benefit album of acoustic songs, Peacelands, as a plea for peace. It includes acoustic renditions of songs by Brian Wilson (“Love and Mercy”), the Velvet Underground (“I Found a Reason”), and frontman Jim James (“I’m Amazed”), among others. “We stand with the people of Minnesota and everywhere else affected by the horrors of ICE brutality and lack of human decency or transparency from this administration,” James wrote in a statement. All proceeds from the LP, available exclusively on Bandcamp, benefit various charities including the ACLU, Doctors Without Borders, and the International Rescue Committee. The group also directed fans to visit Stand With Minnesota.
NOFX, “Minnesota Nazis”
The long-running punk group may have played their final concert, but NOFX’s work is far from done. On the newly released “Minnesota Nazis,” frontman Fat Mike blasts cowardly ICE agents who hide their faces. “If those Minnesota Nazis are so sure that they are part of the master race,” he sings, “Why do they cover their white faces when they’re shooting friendly white unarmed lesbians in the face?”
Billy Bragg, “City of Heroes”
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The singer-songwriter, who already has plentiful back catalog of protest songs, wrote “City of Heroes” after Pretti’s killing. Echoing Pastor Martin Niemöller’s Holocaust protest poem “First They Came,” Bragg flips the message to show he’s in on the fight. “When they came for the immigrants, I got in their face,” he sings, repeating the refrain for ICE agents who came for refugees, 5-year-olds, and “my neighborhood.” “I wrote this song yesterday as a tribute to the bravery of the people of Minneapolis who, knowing that these trigger happy ICE thugs operate with seeming impunity in their midst, are still willing to put themselves in harm’s way to defend their community,” Bragg commented. “Their resistance is an inspiration to us all.”
Dropkick Murphys, “Citizen I.C.E.”
Two decades after recording “Citizen C.I.A.,” a song off their album The Warriors Code, the Dropkick Murphys started performing “Citizen I.C.E.” in November. A tongue-in-cheek recruitment song, the Murphys’s ICE job description includes, “Too scared to join the military, too dumb to be a cop.” The band released a clip of the song, which they recorded for a split LP with the band Haywire, in tribute to Renee Good, writing that her family is in their prayers. They ended the Instagram post with this message: “🧊 may you rot in 🔥.”
