Donald Trump, after being sworn in for a second term as President of the United States, has signed numerous executive orders—some of which have sparked significant public debate.
Among his actions, he pardoned nearly a dozen pro-life activists convicted under the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and “Conspiracy Against Rights.”
“Twenty-three people were prosecuted who should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people. They should not have been prosecuted,” Trump stated. “This is a great honor to sign this.”
Granting these pardons was a key promise Trump made during his campaign. According to the Thomas More Society, they were issued the day before the March for Life in Washington, D.C.
🚨 BREAKING: President Donald J. Trump grants pardons to peaceful pro-life protesters prosecuted by the Biden administration over exercising their First Amendment rights. pic.twitter.com/XwzU4dEJt8
— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) January 23, 2025
In their request for clemency, attorneys representing the activists described them as victims of the “weaponization of the Justice Department by the Biden Administration.” They argued that while Biden’s prosecutors largely ignored incidents of vandalism and firebombing at pro-life churches and pregnancy centers, they aggressively pursued pro-life protesters.
Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America, praised Trump’s decision. “We thank President Trump for immediately delivering on his promise to free pro-life protesters who [were] targeted and imprisoned by [President Joe] Biden’s Department of Justice,” she said. “Pro-life moms, grandmothers, and even Eva Edl, a Communist prison camp survivor, were thrown in jail for peacefully protesting abortion.”
She also highlighted the severe sentences imposed, citing Lauren Handy’s five-year sentence for attempting to expose evidence of late-term and potentially illegal abortions.
While Trump’s supporters applauded his move as a stand for pro-life advocacy, critics viewed it as a highly controversial use of presidential power.