Anti-ICE protester in Portland sentenced to 30 months in prison for assaulting a federal officer

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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — A man accused of assaulting a federal officer during protests at the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement building in Portland, Oregon, was sentenced to 30 months in prison on Thursday.

Under a plea deal, Robert Jacob Hoopes had pleaded guilty to a charge of aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon. According to court documents, Hoopes threw a rock that hit an officer in the head and opened a gash over his eye during a protest last June.

Besides the prison time, U.S. District Judge Adrienne Nelson in Portland also sentenced him to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay over $8,000 in restitution.

“Today’s message is clear — violence is not a protest," the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, Scott Bradford, said in a statement. “When you cross the line and assault a federal officer, you will be prosecuted.”

Hoopes's attorney, Matthew McHenry, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Over the past year, the U.S. Justice Department has sought to prosecute people accused of assaulting federal officers during protests against President Donald Trump's immigration policies in cities across the country, from Chicago to Los Angeles. Recently, a New Jersey immigration detention center has become the latest flashpoint for clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement, with dozens arrested.

The Portland ICE building has been the site of persistent protests over the administration’s aggressive deportation practices since last June, including months of nightly demonstrations and repeated efforts by federal authorities to disperse even small crowds with chemical munitions. Trump's attempt to deploy the National Guard to Portland last fall for the stated purpose of protecting federal property and personnel, which was blocked by the courts, also drew demonstrators.

At least one other Portland ICE building protester has been sentenced to prison, but not for assaulting a federal officer. In March, Trenten Edward Barker was sentenced to 18 months in prison after pleading guilty to arson of a federal building. He was accused of throwing 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.

The cases of at least four other Portland protesters, including three accused of assaulting a federal officer, have been dismissed. At least two cases have gone to trial, including one for a woman accused of assaulting an officer that ended in a mistrial, and another in which a defendant is appealing his sentence of one year of probation for failing to obey a lawful order and creating a disturbance.