A Portland man who admitted to assaulting a federal immigration officer during a protest outside a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement facility has been sentenced to 30 months in federal prison, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Oregon, as reported by The New York Post.

Robert Jacob Hoopes received the sentence on Thursday after previously pleading guilty to aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon stemming from a June 2025 protest in Portland, Oregon.

Federal prosecutors said Hoopes threw a rock that struck an ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations officer in the face during demonstrations outside the facility. Court records indicate the impact caused a significant injury that required medical treatment.

🇺🇸 — UPDATE: Robert Jacob Hoopes was sentenced late last night to 30 months in federal prison after admitting he threw a rock at a federal ICE officer during a violent protest in Portland, Oregon, in June 2025, causing a serious facial injury. • Prosecutors said the officer… pic.twitter.com/pSYhMwZ1S9

— Belaaz News (@TheBelaaz) June 12, 2026

According to prosecutors, the officer suffered a wound that bled heavily and temporarily obstructed his vision. Authorities said the injury required care beyond standard first aid.

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The sentence includes 30 months in federal prison, three years of supervised release following incarceration, and more than $8,000 in restitution.

U.S. Attorney Scott Bradford said the case demonstrates the consequences of violence directed at law enforcement officers during protests.

“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.”

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The case drew attention because of the investigative methods used to identify Hoopes.

According to charging documents, FBI investigators relied in part on facial recognition technology after reviewing photographs published online following the protest.

Federal authorities said investigators submitted an image published by OregonLive.com into commercially available facial recognition software. The software reportedly produced approximately 30 potential matches from publicly available databases.

Investigators then manually reviewed those results and focused on a photograph posted on a Reed College SmugMug page titled “Canyon Day April ’23.”

According to prosecutors, a tattoo visible on the individual in that photograph matched a tattoo seen on the suspect during the protest.

That comparison helped investigators identify Hoopes as the individual accused of throwing the rock.

The case has generated discussion because Hoopes’ family publicly described him as someone committed to nonviolence.

In comments previously reported by KATU, Hoopes’ father, Tom Hoopes, described his son as a “lifelong Quaker who is deeply committed to pacifism.”

While acknowledging that his son attended the protest, he declined to discuss the specifics of the allegations at the time.

“What his involvement was: I can’t speak to that, but he is deeply committed to justice,” Tom Hoopes told the outlet.

Robert Jacob Hoopes' father 🤦‍♀️ Quakers pic.twitter.com/L9lf7a01af

— Joni Job (@jj_talking) June 11, 2026

The sentencing comes as the Justice Department continues pursuing cases involving attacks on federal officers during demonstrations connected to immigration enforcement policies.

Federal prosecutors have repeatedly emphasized that individuals who engage in violence during protests can face criminal charges regardless of the political cause being advocated.

The case also arrives amid continued clashes at immigration-related facilities in other parts of the country.

More recently, demonstrations outside Delaney Hall, an immigration detention center in Newark, New Jersey, have resulted in multiple confrontations between protesters and law enforcement officers.

Authorities have reported dozens of arrests connected to those incidents.

Federal officials have stated that while peaceful protest remains protected under the law, assaults on law enforcement officers will continue to be prosecuted through the federal court system.

The sentencing of Hoopes marks one of the latest cases arising from protests targeting ICE operations during President Donald Trump’s administration.

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