At the Light of Day Winterfest benefit concert in Red Bank, New Jersey on January 17, 2026, rock legend Bruce Springsteen used his surprise performance to deliver pointed criticism of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), telling the crowd that the agency “should get the f—k out of Minneapolis.” The 76-year-old musician spoke from the Count Basie Center for the Arts stage before playing his 1978 song The Promised Land, explaining that the anthem was intended as a tribute to American possibility and then pivoting to address current events.

Springsteen invoked the recent death of 37-year-old Renee Good, a Minneapolis mother of three who was fatally shot by an ICE agent earlier in January, dedicating his performance to her memory and noting that American values and democratic rights were being tested. He framed his remarks by urging support for democracy and against what he described as heavily armed federal forces using “Gestapo tactics” in American cities, echoing calls by Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey for federal agents to leave the city.

The Light of Day Winterfest event, which raises funds for Parkinson’s disease and other neurological research, featured Springsteen’s unannounced roughly 75-minute set alongside performances from other artists including Joe Grushecky & the Houserockers. His political commentary followed earlier public statements he has made critiquing federal policies, and the song dedication was met with applause from the audience.