Justice Department Shifts Stance on FACE Act Prosecutions

The Justice Department, under President Donald Trump's leadership, has decided to limit prosecutions under the FACE Act. This move, considered a response to perceived enforcement 'weaponization,' includes dismissing cases linked to reproductive rights facility blockades in various states. The change follows Trump's pardons of anti-abortion activists.

The Trump administration's Justice Department has set forth a new directive dramatically curtailing prosecutions under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, a law safeguarding reproductive health facilities. This latest development is part of an effort to address what officials describe as the 'weaponization' of law enforcement.

The directive was revealed in a memo by Justice Department chief of staff Chad Mizelle, instructing that criminal and civil actions under the FACE Act be pursued only under 'extraordinary circumstances' or when 'significant aggravating factors' are present.

This shift includes the immediate dismissal of several prominent cases, notably those originating from 2021 protests in states such as Tennessee, Pennsylvania, and Ohio. The memo surfaces shortly after former President Donald Trump granted pardons to anti-abortion activists penalized under the FACE Act for similar infractions.

(With inputs from agencies.)