President Donald Trump pardoned 23 pro-life activists.
“Twenty-three people were prosecuted. They should not have been prosecuted. Many of them are elderly people,” Trump said. “They should not have been prosecuted. This is a great honor, to sign this.”
Upon hearing that some of the protesters were in prison, Trump shook his head and said, “Ridiculous.”
Ahead of the pardons, Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) said the development was a “victory for people of faith and the rule of law in America. Unjust & unequal application of the FACE Act against Pro Life activists stops under President Trump. Let’s pass my bill with @chiproytx to repeal the FACE Act to end these political persecutions forever.”
This week, Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), alongside numerous other Republicans, reintroduced a bill to repeal the FACE Act.
Hearing reports of the pro-life pardons, Roy said the activists were “singled out and targeted by their government solely because of their beliefs.”
“This is a tremendous step towards righting the wrongs done under Biden, but Congress must also take the step to repeal the FACE act to ensure it can never again be weaponized by a future administration. That’s why last Congress I introduced legislation to repeal it with my friend, Sen. Mike Lee,” he said in a statement. “97% of FACE Act prosecutions between the years of 1994-2024 were initiated against pro-life Americans; it is laughable to argue that the law hasn’t been weaponized. Let’s put H.R. 589 on the President’s desk and end this once and for all.”
The FACE Act, of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, is a 1994 law that prohibits intimidation, threats, or physical obstruction against those seeking an abortion.
Several of the now-pardoned activists, including 76-year-old Joan Andrews Bell and 89-year-old Eva Edl, a concentration camp survivor, were serving lengthy sentences. Some activists, like Heather Idoni, 59, have suffered severe health issues in prison, including a minor stroke. Lauren Handy, 31, received the longest sentence—nearly five years—for organizing a sit-in protest in 2020.
