President Donald Trump is set to pardon several pro-life activists who were imprisoned under the Biden administration’s Justice Department. This announcement comes just before the 52nd annual March for Life in Washington, D.C., a significant pro-life rally that is expected to attract tens of thousands of supporters.
The former president will address the rally through a pre-recorded video message. Trump’s decision follows his recent executive order, issued earlier this week, which granted full pardons to around 1,500 individuals convicted in relation to the January 6 Capitol riot. This move not only fulfills a key campaign promise but also renews optimism among pro-life advocates, who are hoping for similar actions for those prosecuted under the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act.
Sources close to the matter informed The Daily Wire that the pardons are expected to be issued within days, addressing what Trump’s allies describe as the unfair persecution of individuals standing for the sanctity of life. The pardons would bring immediate relief to those currently imprisoned including Lauren Handy (57 months in prison), John Hinshaw (21 months), Jonathan Darnell (34 months), Herb Geraghty (27 months), Jean Marshall (24 months), Joan Bell (27 months), Paulette Harlow (24 months), Bevelyn Williams (41 months), Heather Idoni (24 months), and Calvin Zastrow (6 months).
Trump’s allies claim that individuals who peacefully protested at abortion facilities were unfairly targeted by the Biden administration, while violent left-wing demonstrators have faced minimal consequences. During his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump proposed reviewing and potentially pardoning certain individuals. Specifically, in September 2023, Trump condemned the conviction of five pro-life activists in Washington, D.C., saying he would “rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner who’s been unjustly persecuted by the Biden administration… so that I can study the situation very quickly and sign their pardons or commutations on Day 1.”
Following his inauguration, the Thomas More Society, a legal advocacy organization, formally urged Trump to grant full and unconditional pardons to 21 pro-life activists convicted under the FACE Act, the DW reported further. The group includes individuals such as grandparents, pastors, a Holocaust survivor, and a Catholic priest. Many of these activists were sentenced to multiple years in prison for participating in non-violent protests at abortion clinics.
