Pro-Life Groups Targeted by Biden’s Justice Department

If you were pro-life during the Biden administration, the odds of being arrested and aggressively prosecuted with FACE Act violations were significantly higher than those of pro-abortion supporters. Trump’s DOJ just released files showing the Biden administration weaponized its DOJ against pro-life supporters. This is not “man bites dog” news. Let’s take a look.

Unequal Application Of The Law

According to the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group report released April 14, 2026, the Department concluded that the Biden administration misused the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act in several ways. These findings are based on a review of more than 700,000 internal records. The DOJ report states that the Biden administration’s Justice Department:

Closely collaborated with pro‑abortion organizations

• National Abortion Federation
• Planned Parenthood
• Feminist Majority Foundation

These groups allegedly provided dossiers, evidence packets, and target lists to initiate investigations and obtain search warrants. Bloomberg’s reporting on the same DOJ findings notes that the administration allegedly worked with abortion‑rights groups to compile evidence specifically against pro‑life activists, while downplaying attacks on pregnancy resource centers.

Monitoring Pro‑Life Activists for Years

• The DOJ report states that federal prosecutors and career attorneys monitored pro‑life activists for extended periods before bringing charges.
• Requested information from abortion‑rights groups about activists’ travel and constitutionally protected advocacy.

Selective Enforcement of the FACE Act

• The DOJ concluded that the Biden administration:
  • Aggressively pursued FACE Act charges against pro‑life individuals.
  • Sought harsher prison sentences for pro‑life defendants.
  • Did not pursue or minimize investigations into vandalism and attacks on pro‑life pregnancy centers.

The DOJ described this as creating a “two‑tiered system of justice.”

Prosecutorial Misconduct

• The DOJ report identified several internal issues:
  • Prosecutors allegedly withheld evidence requested by defense teams.
  • Some attempted to screen out jurors based on religion.
  • Prosecutors authorized aggressive arrest tactics instead of allowing voluntary surrender.

Conflict of Interest Concerns

The DOJ report states that the lead prosecutor in each FACE Act case served as a reference for a National Abortion Federation grant application.

Corrective Actions Taken To Date

The DOJ under the current administration stated:

• Some DOJ personnel were fired for their involvement in what the report described as weaponization.
• Drop certain pending FACE Act cases against pro‑life activists.
• Only pursue new FACE Act prosecutions under “extraordinary circumstances.”

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said the Department aims to restore public confidence and prevent selective prosecution based on beliefs.

Egregious Prosecution Of Pro-Life Defendants

The Tennessee Rescue Case

On March 5, 2021, a group of 11 pro-life activists conducted what they called a “rescue” at the Carafem Health Center in Mount Juliet, Tennessee:

• They sat in the hallway, sang hymns, prayed, and spoke to women entering the clinic.
• The DOJ describes this as a blockade that prevented at least one patient and one employee from entering.
• The event was livestreamed on Facebook.
• Local police arrested several participants that day for misdemeanor trespassing, normally a low‑level charge with minimal bail.
• More than a year later, the DOJ unsealed a federal indictment charging 11 individuals with felony charges (for 7 defendants):
  • Conspiracy against rights
  • FACE Act violations
  • The felony conspiracy charge alone carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison.
• Misdemeanor FACE Act charges (for 4 defendants)
• The FBI arrived at one activist’s home with guns drawn.
• Ordered others to report for federal processing
• This escalation became a major point of controversy because the underlying conduct was a nonviolent sit‑in.
• A federal jury convicted six of the defendants on:
  • FACE Act violations (misdemeanor)
  • Felony conspiracy against rights (10‑year maximum)

The defendants in this case sat in a hallway singing hymns, prayed, and spoke to women entering the clinic. The initial charges of misdemeanor trespassing seemed reasonable, but it is difficult to determine from the reporting. The DOJ, engaging over a year later with felony charges carrying a maximum ten-year sentence, and sending the FBI to one of the activists’ homes with guns drawn, is egregious.

The Mark Rouck Case

The Mark Houck case was a high‑profile federal prosecution under the FACE Act involving a sidewalk altercation outside a Philadelphia Planned Parenthood clinic — followed by an FBI raid, a jury acquittal, and ultimately a seven‑figure settlement paid to Houck by the federal government. According to the DOJ indictment, Mark Houck — a Catholic father of seven — was accused of twice shoving a 72‑year‑old volunteer clinic escort outside the Planned Parenthood Elizabeth Blackwell Center in Philadelphia. The DOJ alleged the escort required medical attention. Houck’s supporters said the escort was harassing Houck’s 12‑year‑old son, and Houck pushed him away to protect his child.

• Houck was indicted in September 2022 under the FACE Act, which carried penalties of up to 11 years.
• The DOJ used aggressive arrest tactics—a full FBI raid at his home with guns drawn—despite Houck’s attorney offering voluntary surrender.
• Local authorities declined to prosecute the incident.
• The DOJ report cites this as an example of unnecessary force and disproportionate enforcement.
• A jury ultimately acquitted him.

The Washington, D.C. “Rescue” Case (Lauren Handy & Others)

According to court filings and multiple news reports, Lauren Handy and several co‑defendants said they believed the Washington Surgi‑Clinic was performing extremely late‑term abortions and that fetal remains might be present inside the facility. Late-term abortions were legal at the time, and it is still the case to this day. The court rejected their legal defense that they blocked access to “prevent further harm,” because the FACE Act does not allow defendants to justify blocking access on the basis of their beliefs about what happens inside a clinic. All nine defendants were convicted of federal conspiracy charges and sentenced to up to 10 years in prison. The sentence was considered egregious because of the long term.

Other Cases Considered Egregious

Category‑based cases (not individually named in the report):

• Michigan vandalism case
• Multiple cases involving withheld evidence
• Multiple cases involving improper jury screening
• Cases tied to prosecutors who were later fired for misconduct

Since Roe V. Wade was struck down in 2022, there have been 96 attacks on pregnancy resource centers and pro-life organizations, resulting in 9 arrests (CatholicVote Attacks on Pregnancy Centers & Pro‑Life Organizations Tracker). Based on available reporting, there have been 0 known FACE Act prosecutions and 0 known FACE Act convictions for the attacks on pro-life organizations.

The Catholic View

Abortion is abhorrent. It is not reproductive health. It is the taking of a life. This does not mean that people who have abortions are bad people. You can hate the sin, but love the sinner. Many pro-life people work hard to prevent people from aborting their babies. There are times when people cross the line and break the law. When this happens, they must face the consequences. In too many instances, the Biden administration went to great lengths to “make an example” of the pro-life cases as a deterrent. There is clear evidence of egregious prosecution of pro-life supporters and zero prosecution of attacks on pro-life centers. The prosecutors involved warrant criminal charges, and, if convicted, they should be disbarred.

Weaponizing law to target certain groups while protecting others mirrors exactly the kind of legal manipulation Jesus condemned. There seems to be no interest in seeking justice in these cases. Weaponizing the law burdens the weak, shields the powerful, and creates fear instead of freedom. This is a betrayal of God’s justice. Jesus’ justice is always paired with mercy, humility, and fairness. There seems to be little, if any, mercy, humility, and fairness in these cases.

Please share your thoughts about this article in the “Comments” section.

Peace

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