A Portland-area man who admitted to assaulting a federal immigration officer during violent protests outside an U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility last year was sentenced Thursday to 30 months in federal prison.
Robert Jacob Hoopes previously pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon stemming from a June 2025 demonstration outside an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations facility in Portland.
According to court documents, Hoopes threw a rock that struck an ICE officer directly in the face, causing what prosecutors described as “significant injury.”
Federal prosecutors said the officer suffered heavy bleeding that impaired his vision and required medical treatment beyond basic first aid.
“Today’s message is clear — violence is not a protest,” said Scott Bradford in a statement announcing the sentence. “When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted.”
In addition to the prison term, Hoopes was ordered to serve three years of supervised release and pay more than $8,000 in restitution.
Federal investigators identified Hoopes using facial recognition technology after reviewing photographs taken during the protest.
According to charging documents, FBI investigators submitted a photograph published by OregonLive.com into commercially available facial recognition software, which generated roughly 30 possible matches from publicly available databases.
Investigators later focused on a photograph found on a Reed College SmugMug page titled “Canyon Day April ’23.”
Authorities said a tattoo visible on the suspect’s forearm matched the tattoo seen on the individual who threw the rock during the June 14 protest.
Hoopes’ father, Tom Hoopes, previously described his son as a “lifelong Quaker who is deeply committed to pacifism” during an interview with KATU.
While acknowledging his son attended the protest, he declined to discuss his specific role in the incident.
The sentencing comes as federal officials continue warning that assaults on law enforcement officers during anti-ICE demonstrations will be aggressively prosecuted.
More over at The New York Post:
Portland man sentenced to 30 months in prison for throwing rock at ICE officer during protest https://t.co/ckxsvdz5Dc pic.twitter.com/7XJNRiHFTc
— New York Post (@nypost) June 12, 2026
