For the first time in years, the U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to use the very legislation favored by the abortion lobby—the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act)—to defend pro-life pregnancy centers from violent attacks, vandalism, and arson.
Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Harmeet Dhillon promised to hold criminals accountable for bombing and vandalizing pro-life pregnancy centers with the same law formerly used to jail pro-lifers.
Dhillon’s Civil Rights Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ) aims to bring “numerous” such cases using the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act, she told The Daily Signal in a Thursday interview. The Biden administration primarily used the FACE Act to prosecute pro-life activists for peacefully protesting at abortion clinics, despite the law also protecting pregnancy resource centers and houses of worship.
The FACE Act, passed in 1994 under the Clinton administration, was designed to protect access to abortion clinics. But in a striking turn of events, the law will now be wielded to protect pregnancy resource centers that provide life-affirming services to vulnerable women, including medical care, counseling, and parenting support.
This legal shift comes amid a surge in left-wing violence against Christian-run pro-life centers. According to a report from the Daily Caller, over 200 acts of violence or vandalism have been reported against these facilities since the leak of the Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health decision in 2022.
The DOJ’s delayed but growing attention to these crimes suggests an increasing pressure to appear neutral after years of disproportionate prosecutions targeting only pro-life protestors.
“For too long, our pregnancy centers have been under siege while the federal government turned a blind eye,” said a spokesperson for a national pro-life advocacy group. “It’s good to see the FACE Act finally being applied evenly. If it’s going to exist, it ought to protect every American equally, including those trying to save lives—not end them.”
The DOJ’s new approach was made public on June 19, when the department confirmed it would prosecute individuals involved in firebombings, graffiti, and physical attacks on pregnancy centers under FACE. These charges can carry up to 10 years in prison and hefty fines, depending on the severity of the crime.
Former Attorney General Merrick Garland, who had come under fire from conservatives for what they call a two-tiered justice system, refused to comment on the pro-life center attacks. However, the intensifying backlash—including formal congressional inquiries and mounting public criticism—eventually pushed the DOJ to acknowledge the escalating violence.
Garland’s decision was not without irony. The FACE Act has long been criticized by conservatives as a one-sided legal weapon.
Since its inception, the law has been overwhelmingly used to prosecute sidewalk counselors and pro-life demonstrators, including elderly Christians praying silently outside abortion facilities. Many in the conservative legal community have denounced the law as a blunt instrument of ideological enforcement, applied selectively to advance the left’s agenda.
That imbalance is finally being challenged. “It’s about time the DOJ acknowledges that violence against pro-life Americans is also violence against Americans,” said Missouri Senator Josh Hawley. “You can’t cherry-pick justice based on political preference.”
According to Off the Press, the FBI has quietly launched multiple investigations into Jane’s Revenge, a shadowy left-wing extremist group that claimed responsibility for numerous attacks on Christian-run centers. Though these investigations are long overdue, they mark a critical admission: the threat to pro-life facilities is real, organized, and ideologically motivated.
Meanwhile, pregnancy centers across the nation continue to serve women without charge—providing everything from ultrasounds and diapers to post-abortion counseling. These services, primarily funded by churches and private donations, are under constant threat from radicals who believe the only legitimate “choice” is abortion.
The irony is sharp: the abortion lobby’s own prized legislation is now being used to protect those who save lives, not end them. While many Christian conservatives remain skeptical about the DOJ’s motives, this development is a welcome acknowledgment of what they’ve known for years—that pro-life Americans have been targets of domestic terrorism, not merely ideological opposition.
Critics argue that this late-stage pivot of the Biden DOJ was more about optics than justice. In 2024 the administration attempted to shield itself from claims of anti-Christian bias.
Still, many in the pro-life movement see this as a hard-fought win. “We didn’t ask for special treatment,” said one center director in Pennsylvania. “We just want the same protection afforded to any American exercising their constitutional rights. If the FACE Act finally starts doing that, we welcome it.”
As the legal battles continue and prosecutions begin to materialize, the conservative community will be watching closely to see whether this DOJ decision signals a genuine shift in enforcement—or just a temporary, politically motivated concession. For now, the recognition of violence against Christian pregnancy centers as a federal offense is an overdue but important milestone.