Portland man sentenced to 30 months in prison for throwing rock at ICE officer during protest
Portland Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Assaulting ICE Officer
PORTLAND, Ore. — A federal judge on Thursday sentenced Robert Jacob Hoopes to 30 months behind bars for violently attacking a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer during a protest last summer. The punishment also includes three years of supervised release and a restitution payment exceeding $8,000.
Hoopes, 27, had earlier entered a guilty plea to aggravated assault of a federal employee using a dangerous weapon. According to court filings, he hurled a rock that struck the ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer in the face during a June 2025 demonstration outside the agency’s local office. The impact caused serious injury, with the officer experiencing heavy bleeding and temporary vision loss, and required medical treatment beyond basic first aid.
U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon Scott Bradford emphasized the significance of the sentence. “Today’s message is clear — violence is not a protest,” Bradford said in a statement. “When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted.”
The conviction stems from a chain of investigative steps that ultimately tied Hoopes to the incident. Federal agents began by analyzing a photograph published by the Oregonian’s online platform. The image was fed into commercial facial‑recognition software, which returned roughly 30 possible matches from publicly available databases. Investigators narrowed the list by cross‑referencing details such as tattoos. A picture on a Reed College SmugMug page, captioned “Canyon Day April ’23,” showed a forearm tattoo that matched one seen on the suspect during the June 14 protest. This visual evidence, combined with other investigative leads, led to Hoopes’ arrest.
In addition to the prison term, Hoopes’ sentence includes a three‑year period of supervised release, during which he will be required to follow specific conditions set by the court. He is also ordered to pay restitution to cover the officer’s medical expenses and other losses, totaling more than $8,000.
The case has added to a growing number of federal prosecutions linked to unrest surrounding immigration enforcement. The Justice Department has pursued similar actions against individuals accused of assaulting officers at protests tied to the Trump administration’s immigration policies. Recent clashes near an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, have also resulted in multiple arrests, underscoring the heightened tensions surrounding these demonstrations.
Hoopes’ father, Tom Hoopes, offered a glimpse into his son’s background during an interview with KATU. He described Robert as a “lifelong Quaker who is deeply committed to pacifism,” though he declined to discuss his son’s specific role in the incident. “What his involvement was: I can’t speak to that, but he is deeply committed to justice,” Tom Hoopes said.
The sentencing marks a clear stance from federal authorities that attacks on law‑enforcement officers will be met with serious legal consequences, regardless of the cause being protested. While protests over immigration policy continue to draw large crowds in Portland, incidents of violence against officers remain a focal point for both law‑enforcement agencies and community debate.
