The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was created with a clear purpose, to protect access to care. It was written to apply equally to all, safeguarding both abortion providers and pregnancy help organizations, as well as places of worship.
But a newly released Department of Justice (DOJ) review raises a difficult and necessary question. What happens when a law designed to protect everyone is not applied that way in practice?
For those of us serving in the pregnancy help movement, the findings are not surprising. They are, however, clarifying.
Pregnancy help organizations have quietly and consistently served women facing unexpected pregnancies for decades. Today, that includes nearly 3,000 pregnancy help centers in the U.S offering various services like pregnancy tests, limited ultrasound, material assistance, and ongoing support. These centers are here to ensure that no woman feels alone or without options.
At the same time, many of these same life-affirming organizations have experienced vandalism, threats, and intimidation, particularly in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision. Yet, as the DOJ report details, those incidents were often ignored, downplayed, or received far less attention than similar claims from abortion providers.
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Heartbeat International was part of direct conversations with the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division during this time. We welcomed the opportunity to represent our network and share what we were seeing on the ground. Our message was simple: the law must be applied evenly, and pregnancy help organizations must be recognized for the legitimate, life-affirming care they provide.
The report also highlights a troubling imbalance in engagement. Federal officials maintained ongoing, close (even chummy) coordination with abortion advocacy groups, while outreach to pregnancy help organizations came later and with less consistency. When one set of voices is consistently shaping the conversation, it inevitably influences outcomes.
Recent events further underscore these concerns. Pro-life activist Mark Houck was awarded a seven-figure settlement, more than $1 million, after a widely publicized early morning FBI raid on his home in 2022. Houck, a Catholic father of seven, had been charged under the FACE Act and was later acquitted. The settlement raises serious questions about how federal power was exercised and reinforces the need for accountability.
Perhaps most concerning are the broader implications for free speech and religious freedom.
The report documents instances where pro-life individuals and groups were monitored, even when engaging in constitutionally protected activity. Regardless of where one stands on abortion, Americans should agree that peaceful expression and advocacy must remain protected.
As I have said before, every day is a battle against Big Abortion. This report shows how big Big Abortion actually is, with power players embedded in the Department of Justice looking to do the handiwork for abortion profiteers. Women deserve justice from the Department of Justice, not ideological politics masquerading as law enforcement. Kudos to the Trump Administration for calling out the weaponization of a powerful federal agency against grassroots efforts desiring only to help women avoid the physical and emotional perils of abortion. Peaceful, pro-life citizens, whether in pregnancy centers or on sidewalks, should never fear their own government. Every woman deserves love and compassion during her pregnancy, not a politically powered abortion lobby.
Tweet This: Women deserve justice from the Department of Justice, not ideological politics masquerading as law enforcement.
This is not about asking for special treatment. It is about expecting equal treatment.
Pregnancy help organizations are not inherently political actors. They are community-based ministries and medical providers who walk with women in some of the most difficult decisions of their lives. They offer ultrasounds, parenting education, housing support, and connections to long-term care. They serve without charge, without pressure, and without judgment.
Every day, they demonstrate what it means to provide real choice.
The DOJ’s findings present an opportunity. Not to revisit past grievances, but to ensure that moving forward, the FACE Act is enforced as it was intended. Equally. Fairly. Without political bias.
But equal enforcement requires more than acknowledgment. It requires accountability.
The report itself notes that, where appropriate, the Department of Justice may refer current or former employees for criminal prosecution. We have already seen personnel changes tied to these concerns in the past several days. The question now is whether that is enough to ensure this never happens again - that newly-minted DOJ lawyers in a future administration will not intentionally imbalance the scales of justice.
Accountability is not about retribution. It is about restoring trust. It is about ensuring that no administration, regardless of political leaning, can manipulate the federal government's power to favor one set of voices over another.
Women deserve a justice system that does not punish the path to motherhood. That includes access to the compassionate, life-affirming services offered by pregnancy help organizations. If we are serious about supporting women, then we must be serious about protecting everyone who serves them.
Editor's note: Heartbeat International manages Pregnancy Help News.
