Man sentenced to 30 months for assaulting ICE officer in Portland protest

A man who admitted to assaulting a federal officer during protests outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in Portland, Oregon, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Thursday. Robert Jacob Hoopes pleaded guilty to aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon after throwing a rock that struck an ICE officer in the face, causing significant injury. The officer required medical treatment beyond basic first aid. U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson also ordered Hoopes to serve three years of supervised release and pay over $8,000 in restitution. Prosecutors emphasized that the sentence sends a clear message against violence during protests. Hoopes was identified using facial recognition technology after a photograph was submitted to commercially available software. The incident occurred during a June 2025 protest, part of ongoing demonstrations against ICE policies in Portland. The Justice Department has prosecuted similar cases nationwide, including recent clashes at a New Jersey immigration detention center. Protests in Portland have persisted since last year, with federal authorities frequently dispersing crowds using chemical munitions.