Man Sentenced for Assaulting Federal Officer at Protest

A man has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after admitting to assaulting a federal officer during a protest outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility in Portland, Oregon, last year. Robert Jacob Hoopes entered a guilty plea for aggravated assault on a federal officer using a dangerous weapon.

Court documents reveal that during the June 2025 protest, Hoopes threw a rock, hitting an ICE removal officer in the face and causing significant injury. Prosecutors described the officer’s wounds as severe, noting that he experienced heavy bleeding and needed more than just basic first aid for treatment.

Scott Bradford, the U.S. Attorney for Oregon, stated, “Today’s message is clear: Violence is not protest. If you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted.” In addition to his prison time, Hoopes is also set to undergo three years of supervised release and must pay over $8,000 in restitution.

Previous reports indicated that FBI agents utilized facial recognition technology to identify Hoopes. Investigators had sent images published by OregonLive.com through commercially available facial recognition software, which generated about 30 potential matches from a public database. They then examined the results and found a photo titled “Canyon Day April 2023” on Reed College’s SmugMug page. A tattoo on Hoopes’ forearm matched one seen during the protest.

Hoopes’ father, Tom Hoopes, described his son as a lifelong Quaker deeply committed to pacifism in an interview. While he didn’t object to his son’s participation in protests, he chose not to discuss the specifics of Hoopes’ involvement. According to him, “What his involvement was, I can’t speak to that, but he is deeply committed to justice.”

The Justice Department has been actively pursuing cases against multiple individuals accused of assaulting federal officers during protests related to immigration policies under President Trump. Recently, there have also been clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement outside Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, leading to numerous arrests.