WASHINGTON — Just one day before the annual March for Life, President Donald Trump granted pardons Thursday to nearly two dozen pro-life activists convicted under a federal law for “obstructing abortion clinics.” The individuals, convicted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, were charged with illegally blocking entrances or attempting to prevent women from obtaining abortions.
Speaking from the Oval Office, Trump characterized the 23 individuals as “peaceful protestors” who had been wrongfully prosecuted under the Biden administration. While the president did not reveal the names of those receiving pardons, he expressed sympathy for the group, many of whom are elderly.
“Twenty-three people were prosecuted who should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people. They should not have been prosecuted,” Trump said. “This is a great honor to sign this.”
The FACE Act, signed into law by President Bill Clinton in 1994, prohibits physical force, threats of force, or obstruction aimed at interfering with individuals seeking reproductive health services. The law’s scope also covers the protection of access to places of worship, but conservatives argue that it has been more frequently enforced against pro-life activists during Democratic administrations.
The pardons come just one day before the annual March for Life, an event Trump has attended in the past and will address via video this year. The move also echoes a promise he made during his 2020 campaign, vowing to address the issue of pro-life activists prosecuted under the FACE Act.
“Many people are in jail over this,” Trump said in a June 2020 speech to the Faith and Freedom Coalition. “We’re going to get that taken care of immediately—[on the] first day.”
Among those expected to benefit from the pardons is Lauren Handy, a pro-life activist sentenced to five years in prison last year for her role in blocking the doors of a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic in October 2020. Handy’s actions, which were livestreamed, resulted in one nurse sustaining a sprained ankle and an expectant mother in labor being unable to access the abortion facility.
