Following President Donald Trump’s pardoning of nearly 1,500 January 6 protesters, pro-life advocates are urging him to extend the same mercy to 21 individuals convicted for peaceful anti-abortion protests under the Biden administration. Among those facing prison time are elderly activists and long-time pro-life advocates prosecuted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, which opponents claim was misused by the previous administration.
The Thomas More Society, a law firm specializing in pro-life legal defense, has petitioned Trump to pardon the activists. Senior Counsel Steve Crampton argued that Biden’s Department of Justice unfairly targeted these individuals, escalating minor trespassing charges into FACE Act violations to serve as examples. The group believes that granting these pardons would restore justice and confidence in the American legal system.
Several of the activists, including 76-year-old Joan Andrews Bell and 89-year-old Eva Edl, a concentration camp survivor, are serving lengthy sentences. Critics argue that these punishments are disproportionate to the peaceful nature of their protests, which involved “sit-ins” at abortion clinics in cities such as Washington, D.C., Nashville, and Detroit. 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.
President Trump previously expressed willingness to review such cases, pledging during his campaign to reverse what he described as politically motivated prosecutions. Advocates believe his intervention could help restore public trust in the justice system and shift the nation toward a “culture of life.”
Crampton highlighted the humanitarian contributions of those convicted, many of whom are adoptive parents or missionaries serving the most vulnerable. He emphasized the need to end the weaponization of the legal system and restore the rule of law, stating, “These people are the salt of the earth and deserve to be in their communities, not behind bars.”
Nine activists remain incarcerated, and pro-life groups argue that pardoning them would be a significant step in correcting the perceived injustices of the Biden administration.