A man involved in last year’s protests at a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, received a 30-month federal prison sentence. Robert Jacob Hoopes had pleaded guilty to assaulting a federal employee with a dangerous weapon.
Court documents reveal that during a June 2025 protest, Hoopes threw a rock that hit an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer in the face, resulting in serious injury. Prosecutors highlighted that the officer suffered heavy bleeding and vision obstruction, requiring more than basic medical care.
Today’s message is clear—violence is not a protest. When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted,
stated Scott Bradford, U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon.
In addition to imprisonment, Hoopes received an order for three years of supervised release and must pay over $8,000 in restitution. Hoopes was identified by FBI investigators using facial recognition technology. The FBI submitted a photograph from OregonLive.com into software that generated 30 possible matches from public databases. A matching tattoo on Hoopes’ forearm confirmed his identification.
Hoopes’ father, Tom Hoopes, described his son as a lifelong Quaker committed to pacifism in a KATU interview. While confirming his son’s presence at the protest, he chose not to elaborate on his specific role, stating:
What his involvement was: I can’t speak to that, but he is deeply committed to justice,
the elder Hoopes said.
The Justice Department continues prosecuting individuals accused of assaulting federal officers at protests linked to President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. Recent incidents outside Newark’s Delaney Hall immigration detention center led to numerous arrests. Protests followed former President Trump’s threat to deploy the National Guard.