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Bruce Springsteen has dedicated his song ‘The Promised Land’ to Renee Nicole Good, who was shot and killed by an ICE agent earlier this month.
Springsteen, a longtime critic of President Donald Trump, made the touching tribute to Good, 37, during a surprise appearance at the Light of Day Winterfest in New Jersey on Saturday.
The rock legend also took aim at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), accusing the agency of using “Gestapo tactics” against American citizens as he performed at the event, which fundraises for Parkinson’s disease research.
- Bruce Springsteen dedicated his song 'The Promised Land' to Renee Nicole Good, whose life was taken by an ICE agent in Minneapolis.
- Springsteen condemned ICE's use of 'Gestapo tactics' against American citizens during his surprise Winterfest performance in New Jersey,
- Good's shooting sparked protests and resignations from DOJ officials over the handling of the case and investigation focus.
Bruce Springsteen dedicated a song to Renee Nicole Good
Image credits: Rodin Eckenroth/Getty Images for AFI
Introducing The Promised Land, Springsteen described the song as “one of his greatest,” and one he wrote as an “ode to American possibility.”
“The United States, the ideals and the values for which it stood for the past 250 years, is being tested as it has never been in modern times,” he said.
“If you believe in democracy, in liberty, if you believe that truth still matters, and that it’s worth speaking out, and it’s worth fighting for,” Springsteen continued to heavy applause.
“If you believe in the power of the law and that no one stands above it, if you stand against heavily armed masked federal troops invading American cities, and 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.”
He concluded, “And as the mayor of that city has said, ICE should get the f**k out of Minneapolis. So this one is for you, and the memory of the mother of three and American citizen Renee Good.”
Good was shot and killed by ICE agent Jonathan Ross in Minneapolis on January 7 as she attempted to drive away from an alleged protest after being confronted by agents.
The case has sparked significant protests across the city, where ICE is carrying out significant enforcement operations.
At least four leaders of the criminal section of the Civil Rights Division, a DOJ unit that investigates police killings, resigned in protest last week over the case.
They were joined by six federal prosecutors in Minnesota who resigned just days later over a dispute regarding the Justice Department’s handling of the case.
Reports alleged that those resignations were sparked by the DOJ’s refusal to investigate Ross’ actions and its insistence on investigating Good’s widow, Rebecca Good.
Springsteen’s tribute to Good comes after he clashed with Trump last year, branding him as “treasonous” as he opened his Land of Hope & Dreams Tour with the E Street Band in Manchester in May.
In one of three speeches to the crowd, he referenced Trump’s crackdown on immigration, civil rights, the defunding of universities such as Harvard, and Trump’s relationship with Russian President Vladimir Putin.
Springsteen is a vocal critic of Trump and ICE
Image credits: Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images
“There’s some very weird, strange, and dangerous s**t going on out there right now,” Springsteen said.
Springsteen warned that the U.S. is undergoing a dangerous moral and political unraveling, arguing that basic democratic norms are being actively undermined.
He said Americans are being persecuted “for using their right to free speech and voicing their dissent,” while civil rights protections were being rolled back.
“They’re rolling back historic civil rights legislation that led to a more just and plural society. They’re abandoning our great allies and siding with dictators against those struggling for their freedom,” Springsteen added.
Image credits: Samuel Corum/Getty Images
Springsteen further criticized what he described as cruelty toward working people, saying leaders are taking “sadistic pleasure” in policies that harm loyal American workers.
He pointed to the defunding of universities and warned that people are being removed from American streets and deported “without due process of law,” stressing repeatedly that these are not distant threats but realities “happening now.”
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