Bruce Springsteen launched a politically charged tirade against U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during a surprise appearance at the Light of Day music festival in New Jersey. The 1980s rocker dedicated his performance of The Promised Land to Renee Nicole Good, a woman shot and killed earlier this month after allegedly attempting to run down an ICE agent with her vehicle in Minneapolis.
Springsteen stood alongside Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers, delivering a profanity-laced attack on ICE, calling its agents “Gestapo” and “murderers.” He urged the crowd to “send a message to this president” and echoed the Minneapolis mayor’s demand that ICE “get the f*** out of Minneapolis.” Springsteen portrayed his song as an ode to American ideals under threat, using the stage to push a far-left narrative on federal law enforcement.
Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, died on January 7 after a confrontation with federal agents in Minneapolis. Reports indicate she used her SUV in an attempt to ram an ICE officer. The officer responded with gunfire, fatally striking Good. The incident occurred during a federal enforcement action in the Central neighborhood of the city. Law enforcement claimed the agent was struck and responded in self-defense.
Despite the violent nature of the encounter, Springsteen chose to elevate Good as a martyr, politicizing the tragedy to condemn ICE operations. He stated that Americans are living in “critical times” where democratic values are “endangered,” and framed federal immigration enforcement as an assault on liberty. The speech aligned with rhetoric increasingly seen on the left equating law enforcement actions with authoritarianism.
Springsteen’s remarks continue a pattern of celebrity hostility toward immigration enforcement and border security. His latest outburst, delivered in front of a cheering crowd, amplified calls from progressive leaders to remove ICE from major U.S. cities, even in cases involving violent resistance to lawful federal operations.
