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By Toby Meyjes
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Jake Lang, a pardoned January 6 rioter, has been arrested after he posted a video to X showing him kicking over a newly installed "Prosecute ICE" sculpture in front of the Minnesota Capitol.
Footage posted to his X account showed Lang knocking down the sculpture that had been erected by members of the veterans organization Common Defense in a stand against federal immigration operations in Minneapolis.
Beneath the post, he wrote: "They are charging me with a felony for $6,000 in damage. I’m being taken to Ramsey County Jail in Minnesota".
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Jail records reviewed by Newsweek show an Edward Lang had been booked on Thursday.
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What Does the Video Show?
In the video, Lang, who is dressed in military attire, points to the camera and says: "President Trump, we support you, we support ICE, our country was made for Americans, not Somalis."
He then walks towards the sculpture and proceeds to kick it down, before shouting with his arms raised: "Pro ICE baby, America First, America Only."
A Minnesota State Patrol spokesperson told Newsweek in an emailed statement: "On February 5 at 2:32 p.m., Capitol security dispatchers observed someone damaging a display on the front steps of the Capitol in St. Paul.
"A male, later identified as Edward Jacob Lang, a 30-year-old man from Lake Worth, Florida, was seen kicking parts of a permitted display that was set up on the Capitol promenade. This resulted in part of the display falling on the ground and breaking.
"Mr. Lang was seen leaving the area in a vehicle, which was stopped near Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard and University Avenue by a Minnesota State Patrol Trooper. Mr. Lang was arrested without incident and brought to the Ramsey County Jail to be booked for suspicion of criminal damage to property. This investigation remains open and active."
The sculpture was installed on Thursday after the fatal shootings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good by federal agents in Minneapolis last month. Jacob Thomas, Common Defense’s communications director, wrote in a post on Instagram after the incident: "Cowards like Jake Lang no nothing about service. And so scared of art that destroys it without thinking of the consequences. Have a nice night in jail, fascist."
Lang is calling for "American patriots" and "crusaders" to go to the Minnesota State Capitol on February 7 in support of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) efforts in the state. A message he repeated in the video of him destroying the sculpture.
State officials told CBS News on February 5 that he has not been granted a permit for the rally because the date and time had already been reserved by another party.
Who Is Jake Lang?
Lang spent four years in jail for his alleged involvement in the January 6, 2021 Capitol attack, although he was never convicted of any offences. He received a presidential pardon in January 2025.
Prosecutors alleged Lang assaulted officers at the Capitol, allegations he denied by claiming self-defense, and he drew attention for organizing from custody and promoting a "national constitutional militia" called NAPALM via social media.
Last year, it was revealed Lang was running for Congress, hoping to take the Florida Senate seat vacated by Marco Rubio when he was appointed as Secretary of State by Trump and currently occupied by Republican Senator Ashlee Moody on an interim basis.
A special election for the seat is scheduled for November 2026 and Lang is hoping to beat Moody in a primary contest to become the official Republican candidate later this year.
Last month, Lang claimed he was stabbed during a pro-ICE rally outside Minneapolis City Hall. Minneapolis Police Department said at the time they were aware of social media accounts of an assault but had not received a police report.
What Happens Next
It is unclear what impact Lang's arrest will have on the planned protest for Saturday. The investigation into lang remains ongoing.
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