Pro-life activists sentenced to prison under the Biden administration are speaking out after receiving pardons from President Donald Trump.
Paulette Harlow, 75 at the time of her conviction, was found guilty of federal civil rights conspiracy and violating the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. She was among several protesters sentenced for participating in an abortion clinic blockade in Washington, D.C., in October 2020.
Harlow and others were accused of forcefully entering the clinic, blocking doors with furniture, ropes, and their bodies. She was sentenced to 24 months in prison.
Harlow denied the allegations of violence, saying “I have never, ever, ever seen any violence on the part of pro-life people.” She stated that the group was trying to stop abortions and save the lives of babies and mothers.
The FACE Act, passed in 1994, prohibits threats, obstruction, and property damage intended to interfere with reproductive health care services.
Trump pardoned more than two dozen anti-abortion activists earlier this month, saying “We released 23 people that were unjustly put in and having to do with pro-life. And they will be released, and they’ll be out very shortly. It was disgraceful what happened.”
Harlow criticized the Department of Justice, saying “I was appalled watching Garland. He was isolating us and targeting us because of our pro-life stance. And especially, he was targeting Catholics.”
Republican lawmakers have accused the Department of Justice of holding an “anti-Catholic bias” in its handling of pro-life activists.
The pardons were criticized by many abortion rights advocates, who argued they signal Trump’s opposition to abortion access. However, Trump has stated that he would veto a federal abortion ban if it reached his desk.
Those who were pardoned, including Harlow and William Goodman, described the difficult conditions they faced while serving their sentences, including neglect and lack of basic needs.
