Pardoned pro-life political prisoners should sue Biden admin.
![Thousands of pro-Life demonstrators marched through Washington DC for the annual March For Life Event in solidarity with the anti-abortion stance on Jan. 19, 2024.](https://assets.christianpost.com/images/cache/image/15/16/151645_w_400_267.jpg)
Thanks to what’s known as the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE Act), the likes of Joe Biden, his Attorney General Merrick Garland, and FBI Director Christopher Wray arrested and prosecuted pro-life adherents for praying in front of abortion clinics. Thankfully, President Donald Trump just pardoned them all. He did so on the eve of the annual March for Life.
As the CEO of CompassCare and a steadfast advocate for the sanctity of life, I am ecstatic that President Donald Trump has taken a bold stand for justice by pardoning 23 political prisoners. These courageous individuals, whose only crime was the peaceful act of praying outside abortion clinics, have endured an egregious abuse of power at the hands of an administration determined to silence pro-life voices. Their freedom marks a victory not only for them but for all Americans who believe in the constitutional right to free speech and religious expression.
It is no secret that the FACE Act has been weaponized to target pro-life advocates while turning a blind eye to the widespread violence and destruction aimed at pregnancy centers and churches. The double standard is glaring. Those who seek to protect the most vulnerable among us — unborn children — have been treated as criminals, while those who perpetrate actual crimes against pro-life institutions are given a free pass. The hypocrisy is appalling, and it is why we must not stop at these pardons.
These 23 individuals, now free from their unjust imprisonment, must seek legal recourse for the suffering inflicted upon them. Their wrongful incarceration has cost them dearly — financially, emotionally, and spiritually. They have lost wages, endured undue hardship, and suffered immeasurable psychological and emotional abuse. This is why I strongly urge them to file lawsuits against those responsible for their persecution. They must seek punitive damages and restitution for lost wages, pain, and suffering. This is not simply about individual compensation; it is about ensuring that such flagrant abuses of power never happen again.
If we fail to hold the perpetrators of this injustice accountable, we open the door for history to repeat itself. We know that when Democrats regain power, they will not hesitate to use the full force of the government to suppress pro-life advocacy. They have already demonstrated their willingness to target faith-based organizations and individuals who refuse to conform to their radical abortion agenda. If we do not take decisive legal action now, we risk emboldening them to continue their assault on pro-life Americans.
The legal battles ahead will not be easy. The pro-abortion lobby is powerful, well-funded, and deeply entrenched in both political and judicial institutions. But we cannot shrink from this fight. The lives of the unborn depend on our resolve. The Constitution guarantees every American the right to speak, pray, and advocate for their deeply held beliefs without fear of government persecution. We must demand that those rights be upheld, and that justice be served for those who have suffered under the oppressive enforcement of the FACE Act.
This is a defining moment for the pro-life movement. We have seen what happens when a government is allowed to operate unchecked, trampling over the rights of those who stand for life. Now, we have an opportunity to push back, to demand accountability, and to set a legal precedent that will safeguard our freedoms for generations to come. These pardons are a first step, but they are not the final step. We must continue the fight until every pro-life advocate is free to exercise their constitutional rights without fear of unjust prosecution.
I call on all pro-life leaders, legal experts, and supporters across the nation to rally behind these political prisoners as they seek justice. This is not just their battle — it is our battle. If we do not act now, we risk allowing an even greater crackdown on pro-life advocacy in the future.
The time is now. Let us stand together, unwavering and unafraid, to ensure that never again will peaceful prayer and protest be criminalized in America. Let us make it abundantly clear that we will not be intimidated, and we will not be silenced. Justice must be served, and with God's help, it will be.
Rev. Jim Harden, M.Div. is a medical ethicist, author of the newly published Ethical Theory and Pertinent Standards in Women’s Reproductive Health, and CEO of CompassCare Pregnancy Services. He pioneered the first measurable and repeatable medical model in the pregnancy center movement and has written extensively on medical ethics, pro-life policy, and executive leadership. Rev. Harden has developed materials and strategies used by hundreds of pregnancy centers nationwide, helping them become more effective at serving women and saving babies from abortion.