Portland man pleads guilty to rock assault on ICE officer during June 2025 protest
Guilty plea entered in federal assault case tied to South Portland ICE facility protest
A Portland man has pleaded guilty in federal court to an aggravated assault charge stemming from a June 2025 protest outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility in South Portland. The case centers on allegations that a rock thrown during the protest struck a federal officer and caused an injury.
The defendant, Robert Jacob Hoopes, 25, admitted to aggravated assault of a federal employee with a dangerous weapon causing bodily injury. The plea was entered on February 18, 2026, and sentencing is scheduled for May 12, 2026, in U.S. District Court.
What prosecutors said happened on June 14, 2025
Federal court filings described a June 14, 2025 demonstration at the ICE building during which Hoopes was accused of throwing large rocks toward the facility. One rock was alleged to have hit an ICE officer in the head, leaving a deep cut above the officer’s eye that required medical attention.
Prosecutors also alleged that later the same day Hoopes and others used an overturned stop sign to ram the facility’s front entry door, causing significant damage.
Date of incident: June 14, 2025, outside the ICE office in South Portland.
Injury alleged: a cut above the officer’s eye after being struck by a rock.
Additional allegation: damage to the facility’s main entry door using a stop sign as a battering ram.
Charges, indictment, and what the plea changes
Hoopes was initially arrested on July 25, 2025. A federal grand jury later indicted him on August 5, 2025, on two counts: aggravated assault on a federal employee with a dangerous weapon and damage to federal property.
Under the plea agreement disclosed in court reporting, Hoopes agreed to pay full restitution, estimated at more than $7,000. The aggravated assault charge carries a potential penalty of up to 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing outcomes in federal court are determined by the presiding judge after consideration of statutory factors and the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
The case remains pending for sentencing, with restitution and final punishment to be determined at the May 12, 2026 hearing.
Broader context: federal prosecutions linked to the ICE facility
The Hoopes case is part of a broader set of federal prosecutions tied to incidents at the South Portland ICE building during the summer of 2025. Federal authorities have publicly stated they brought multiple cases involving allegations such as assaults on officers and damage to government property during that period.
The investigation in Hoopes’ case was led by the FBI, with prosecution handled by federal attorneys in Oregon.