ICE protest songs

Alex Pretti

Many musicians have written protest songs against Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during the second Trump administration, particularly in the wake of Operation Metro Surge, an ongoing effort on the part of ICE and sister agencies that has sent over 3,000 agents of the United States federal government into the state of Minnesota. In the course of Operation Metro Surge, federal immigration agents shot and killed U.S. citizens Renée Good and Alex Pretti, which drew significant protests from the public. Minnesotan musicians were largely the first to write anti-ICE protest songs, followed by musicians across the United States, including famous acts like Bruce Springsteen and the Dropkick Murphys. Twenty-first-century technology, including social media and artificial intelligence, significantly affected the way the anti-ICE songs were created, recorded, and distributed compared to past protest songs.

Background

See also: Immigration policy of the second Trump administration, Deportation in the second Trump administration, Mexico–United States border wall § Second Trump administration (2025–present), Mexico–United States border crisis § Second Trump administration (2025–present), and Visa and deportation controversies in the second Trump administration § Detention of activists

Starting in January 2026, ^[1] thousands of agents of the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) – particularly ICE and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) were sent to the Twin Cities in Minnesota with the stated purpose of arresting undocumented immigrants. 3,000 agents have been deployed in total in what was termed Operation Metro Surge. On January 7, agents shot and killed 37-year-old mother Renée Good; on January 24, agents shot and killed 37-year-old nurse Alex Pretti. Both were U.S. citizens. The Trump administration described Good as an "assassin" and Pretti as a "domestic terrorist"; video analyses have shown that Good was attempting to drive away from the agents when she was shot in her car, and though Pretti had a gun, he never attempted to use it and was disarmed before being shot. ^{[2] [3] [4]}

Operation Metro Surge and the killings of Good and Pretti have drawn significant protest, ^[2] including from musicians. Many have spoken out against ICE and Metro Surge at live events, on their social media accounts, and at in-person protests; many have also written protest songs. ^[5] By and large, Minnesotan musicians started writing and releasing songs first, followed by other musicians across the United States. However, some non-Minnesotan artists, like Jesse Welles of Arkansas, were part of the early wave of songs. ^[3] Many of the songs are under two minutes and align with folk music. ^[6] The same day Pretti was killed, Bruce Springsteen says he wrote "Streets of Minneapolis", which criticizes Trump as a "king" using a "private army" and his administration for telling "dirty lies" about Good and Pretti's deaths. ^[2] Prior to Operation Metro Surge, Dropkick Murphys frontman Ken Casey had criticized other punk musicians for not speaking out more against ICE and the administration. ^[7] Some songs with lyrics criticizing ICE were already in progress or released before Metro Surge, including Zach Bryan's "Bad News", ^{[2] [8] [a]} Jesse Welles's "Join ICE", ^[9] and "Ice Too Cold to Thaw" by David J & the Resistance. ^[10]

Protest songs have a long history; ^[3] Springsteen himself wrote many over decades. ^[2] They are largely grouped into two categories: those that focus more on communicating the problem (like "The Times They Are a-Changin'") and those that are meant to be sung by crowds during rallies (like freedom songs of the civil rights movement). Most ICE protest songs have been the first type. Protest songs that are sung live at protests, however, help with morale and affirm the innocence of the crowd, which music professor Noriko Manabe says makes the comparatively aggressive agents "look completely ridiculous". While protest songs are not new, 21st-century technology significantly reshaped the speed at which the ICE protest songs were created, recorded, and shared among the general public. Within days of Good's death, Jeremy Messersmith had written, recorded, and submitted "Fuck This" to Minnesota Public Radio. Then, he had people submit their own additions to the song, instruments and vocals, to release a "Community Choir Edition" with over 70 added tracks. One song, "Minnesota Anthem", was created with artificial intelligence. ^[3]

List

This is a dynamic list and may never be able to satisfy particular standards for completeness. You can help by editing the page to add missing items, with references to reliable sources.

• "Bad News" by Zach Bryan
• "Boltcutter", by the Ike Reilly Assassination ^[11]
• "Breaking News", by the Neighborhood Kids ^[11]
• "Citizen I.C.E.", by the Dropkick Murphys ^{[7] [b]}
• "City of Heroes", by Billy Bragg ^[11]
• "Cold as ICE", by Jax the Band ^[11]
• "Come Out Ye Cowards ICE", by Carsie Blanton ^[11]
• "Compassion", by Cloud Cult ^[3]
• "Did You See What Happened In Minneapolis?", by Dezi Music ^[11]
• "A Freedom Hymn", by Milck ^[11]
• "Fuck This", by Jeremy Messersmith ^[3]
• "Get out of Minnesota Kristi Noem", by Sarah Streitz ^[11]
• "Good Trouble", by Steve Goertz ^[11]
• "Good vs. Ice", by Jesse Welles ^[6]
• "History Chooses You", by David Hanners ^[11]
• "Hold On", by Singing Resistance ^[11]
• "ICE", by Waterparks ^[12]
• "Ice Too Cold to Thaw", by David J & the Resistance ^[10]
• "Insurrection Song", by Swallows ^[11]
• "Join Ice", by Jesse Welles ^[3]
• "Making It Great", by Dave Matthews ^[3]
• "Minnesota", by Marsh Family ^[11]
• "Minnesota Anthem", by Marc Skjervem ^{[11] [c]}
• "Minnesota Nazis", by NOFX ^[11]
• "No Kings, No Crown", by Paul Metsa and Alan Sparhawk ^[11]
• "No Words", by Noah Levy and the Stone Arch Bridge Drum Corps ^[11]
• Peacelands, a benefit LP by My Morning Jacket ^[4]
• "Pretend You Remember Me" by Tom Morello ^{[13] [14]}
• "Pretti/Good", by Dan Rodriguez ^[11]
• "Que Se Vaya el Hielo", by Maria Isa ^[11]
• "Renee", by Caitlin Cook ^[6]
• "A Scary Time but Make It About ICE", by Lynz Lab ^[11]
• "Soldier of Fortune", by Mary Gauthier and Eliza Gilkyson ^[11]
• "A Song for Renee Good", by Odin Scott Coleman ^[6]
• "Southside", by the Belfast Cowboys ^[11]
• "Streets of Minneapolis", by Bruce Springsteen ^[3]
• "T.T.T.T.M.I.D.S.W.I.S.", by Zach Schmidt ^{[6] [d]}
• "Tell Me What Terrorism Looks Like", by Speak Now Sasha ^[11]
• "The Storm '26", by John Swardson ^[11]
• "There's Blood upon the Snow in Minneapolis", by Jodi Jones ^[11]
• "This Ground Is Home", by Natalie Lovejoy ^[11]
• "Told You So", by Durry ^[3]
• "Untitled", by Kata ^[6]
• "The World's Gone Wrong", by Lucinda Williams ^[15]
• "When Gregory Bovino to Minnesota Went", by Penka Jane ^[11]
• "Who Is She to You?", by Lamaar ^[3]
• Untitled song by Bathtub Cig ^[3]
• Untitled song by Dave Hill ^[11]

Notes

1. Bryan has said that his song was "misconstrued" as an ICE protest song. ^[2]
2. A re-working of their prior song, "Citizen C.I.A." ^[7]
3. Created by a friend of Skjervem's with artificial intelligence. ^[3]
4. An acronym for "they tried to tell me I didn't see what I saw". ^[6]

References

1. Balsamo, Michael (January 6, 2026). "2,000 federal agents sent to Minneapolis area to carry out 'largest immigration operation ever', ICE says". PBS News Hour . Archived from the original on January 24, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
2. Towfighi, Michaela (January 28, 2026). "Springsteen releases 'Streets of Minneapolis', a song protesting ICE". The New York Times . Retrieved February 2, 2026.
3. Lauer, Alex (January 29, 2026). "This machine melts ICE: The protest songs galvanizing Minneapolis, and now the entire country". InsideHook . Retrieved February 2, 2026.
4. Grow, Kory (January 29, 2026). "'ICE Out': Protest songs from Bruce Springsteen, My Morning Jacket, NOFX, and others". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
5. Brown, August (January 30, 2026). "As ICE raids American cities, artists fight back before the Grammys with 'More teeth ... more rage'". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved February 2, 2026.
6. Bernstein, Jonathan (January 9, 2026). "Protest songs about the Minneapolis ICE shooting are already online". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on January 14, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
7. Shanahan, Mark (January 15, 2026). "Dropkick Murphys mock ICE with 'new' song 'Citizen I.C.E.'". The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
8. Green, Walden; Monroe, Jazz (October 7, 2025). "United States Department of Homeland Security responds to anti-ICE lyrics in Zach Bryan song snippet". Pitchfork . Archived from the original on October 7, 2025. Retrieved October 8, 2025.
9. Browne, David (August 21, 2025). "Can Jesse Welles Revive the Protest Song?". Rolling Stone . Retrieved January 29, 2026.
10. Mier, Tomás (October 20, 2025). "Bauhaus' David J, Ozomatli join forces to denounce ICE raids in haunting protest song". Rolling Stone . Archived from the original on October 20, 2025. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
11. Walsh, Jim (January 30, 2026). "'Streets of Minneapolis': 32 protest songs inspired by the city's ICE resistance". MinnPost . Retrieved February 2, 2026.
12. Rogers, Jack (January 28, 2026). "Waterparks Drop Seething New Track 'ICE'". Rock Sound . Retrieved February 3, 2026.
13. Tomicki, Hadley (January 13, 2026). "Five Anti-ICE Anthems and Music Videos, Ranked". LA Taco. Retrieved February 2, 2026.
14. Graff, Gary (July 10, 2025). "'If You Support Anything, Let It Be Justice': Tom Morello Talks ICE Protest Song 'Pretend You Remember Me'". Billboard . Retrieved February 2, 2026.
15. Shanahan, Mark (January 29, 2026). "Springsteen leads musical revolt against ICE raids with 'Streets of Minneapolis'" . The Boston Globe . Archived from the original on January 30, 2026. Retrieved January 29, 2026.