A Quaker turned violent Portland protestor was sentenced to 30 months in federal prison after pleading guilty to assaulting a federal agent during anti-immigration protests last year.
Robert Jacob Hoopes, 25, was also ordered to pay over $8,000 in restitution and will have three years of supervised release following his prison sentence, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Oregon.
Under a plea deal, Hoopes admitted to throwing a large rock at a federal agent during a June 2025 protest. A grand jury indicted him last year for striking a federal officer in the head with a rock and using a stop sign pole as a battering ram at the front doors of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in South Portland.
U.S. Attorney Scott E. Bradford said Hoopes’ prosecution and sentencing is clear — violence is not a protest.
After being sentenced to 2.5 years in federal prison for aggravated assault against an ICE agent, Portland Antifa's Robert Jacob Hoopes was observed attending a 'Revoke the ICE permit' protest at the city council meeting on Wednesday evening.
Hoopes has been ordered to surrender… https://t.co/zzsTYWFivT pic.twitter.com/HtVuJOjDj3
— Katie Daviscourt 📸 (@KatieDaviscourt) June 18, 2026
“When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted,” Bradford said. “My office will continue to pursue those who seek to harm our law enforcement partners.”
The Portland ICE building became a hotbed for violent and persistent anti-ICE protestors and Antifa rioters during the summer of 2025. They set up an encampment outside of the ICE facility, causing havoc and disturbing the peace of nearby neighbors for months, while sanctuary politicians or local police failed to remove them from the streets.
At his sentencing hearing, Assistant U.S Attorney Leah K. Bolstad described Hoopes’ actions as among “the most egregious” of the assaults on law enforcement at the ICE facility in South Portland, The Oregonian reported.
Bolstad wanted a three-year and 10-month sentence. Matthew G. McHenry, Hoopes’ defense lawyer, argued for a two-year sentence.
U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson issued a sentence that fell between the recommendations. She allowed Hoopes to surrender on July 23 to U.S. marshals to start serving his prison term.
The charges stem from a June 14, 2025, protest. According to court documents, BORTAC and ICE officers were inside the building to maintain security when protesters attempted to break in.
When filing the charges, federal prosecutors said that Hoopes was caught on security footage throwing large rocks at the ICE facility. Hoopes threw a large rock that hit an officer in the head, causing a 2-inch gash above his right eyebrow.
Later that same day, he and two other rioters were seen using an upended stop sign as a makeshift battering ram, causing significant damage to the main entry door to the ICE building.
After Hoopes’ arrest, KPTV FOX 12 reported that prosecutors said they identified Hoopes using a photo published online by The Oregonian, showing an individual wearing a gas mask with pink filters, similar to the person seen in the security footage.
FBI investigators used facial recognition software to link The Oregonian photo with a Reed College event photo from April 2023.
The individual had a similar build and appearance, including a matching tattoo, according to the complaint. Investigators confirmed that Hoopes graduated from Reed in 2023.
On Aug. 5, 2025, a federal grand jury in Portland returned a two-count indictment charging Hoopes with aggravated assault on a federal employee with a dangerous weapon and depredation of federal property.
In February, Hoopes pleaded guilty to aggravated assault on a federal employee with a dangerous weapon.
His father, Tom Hoopes, attended an initial court hearing and told KPTV that “My son is a lifelong Quaker who has a long track record of pacifism. He is a deeply gentle, loving spirit. I have no idea what he is being accused of, but this is a child that you would trust your children with immediately.”
The FBI investigated the case and shared news of Hoopes’ sentencing on social media.
“The FBI will not stand idly by and allow federal officers to be assaulted by rioters,” said FBI Portland Acting Special Agent in Charge Matt Torres. “We will investigate any perpetrator using violence to express their views and hold them accountable.”
Over the past year, the U.S. Justice Department has sought to prosecute people accused of assaulting federal officers during violent demonstrations in sanctuary cities, including Portland, Chicago, Minneapolis and Los Angeles.
Since June 13, 2025, the U.S. Attorney’s Office has charged 23 individuals with offenses committed at the Portland ICE building, KPTV reported.
Several of those cases have been dismissed, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
At least one other Portland anti-ICE protester has been sentenced to prison related to the unruly and violent clashes with law enforcement. In March, Trenten Edward Barker was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to arson of a federal building.
Prosecutors charged Barker with a crime after he threw a lit flare onto a pile of debris stacked against the gate of the ICE building last June, causing thousands of dollars in property damage, according to federal prosecutors.
