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President Trump urged to keep promise to pardon pro-life activists

Image credit: freestocks / René DeAnda via Unplash

Pro-lifers are urging President Donald Trump to keep to his promise of pardoning pro-lifers, who were unfairly prosecuted for their pro-life activism under the Biden administration.

According to Live Action, back in June 2024, during his election campaign, President Trump promised that he would get pro-lifers “out of the gulags and back to their families where they belong”.

Pro-lifers had been arrested and convicted under President Joe Biden's DOJ on the basis that they had violated the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) act and for “conspiracy against rights”.

During his June speech, President Trump specifically referred to the case of 75-year-old Paulette Harlow, who after her conviction in November 2023, was originally serving her sentence under house arrest due to her health, but was later sentenced to serve the rest of her conviction in prison.

“Paulette is one of many peaceful pro-lifers who Joe Biden has rounded up, sometimes with SWAT teams, and thrown them in jail. Many people are in jail over this.  …We’re going to get that taken care of immediately — first day,” he said, adding that he would “rapidly review the cases of every political prisoner who’s unjustly victimized by the Biden regime, including Paulette, so we can get them out of the gulags and back to their families where they belong.”

Before his inauguration this week, the Thomas More Society, a pro-life law firm, issued a formal request to President Trump on 14th January, to pardon 21 pro-lifers from their convictions. In a press release they said

“The pardon request package includes 21 individual pardon requests, one for each pro-life advocate, outlining the specific facts of each case, their upstanding personal and moral character, and the reasons why President Trump should grant a presidential pardon. The pardon request package also includes a cover letter outlining the legal rationale for the requested pardons and explains how the Biden DOJ routinely and unconstitutionally weaponized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act and “Conspiracy Against Rights” statute against peaceful pro-life advocates.”

“The 21 pro-life advocates for whom Thomas More Society has submitted pardon requests are: Joan Bell, Coleman Boyd, Joel Curry, Jonathan Darnel, Eva Edl, Chester Gallagher, William Goodman, Dennis Green, Lauren Handy, Paulette Harlow, John Hinshaw, Heather Idoni, Jean Marshall, Fr. Fidelis Moscinski, Justin Phillips, Paul Place, Paul Vaughn, Bevelyn Beatty Williams, Calvin Zastrow, Eva Zastrow, and James Zastrow.”

Live Action also report that the Biden Administration began targeting pro-life activists under the FACE act back in 2022, but that director of the FBI, Christopher Wray had admitted that most abortion related violence was perpetrated by those in favour of abortion against pro-lifers. A further report from the Washington Stand says that there was no prosecutions made against perpetrators for the 436 Church attacks that occurred in 2023.

“While Biden’s prosecutors almost entirely ignored the firebombing and vandalism of hundreds of pro-life churches and pregnancy centers, they viciously pursued pro-life Americans, obtaining convictions against them under the federal ‘FACE Act’ (18 U.S.C. § 248) and the Ku Klux Klan Act’s ‘Conspiracy Against Rights’ felony provisions (18 U.S.C. § 241). But these individuals participated in mere peaceable civil disobedience, in the heralded tradition of the American Civil Rights activists. Peaceable actions like these usually merit, at worst, a minor misdemeanor conviction,” said the Thomas More Society in their request to Donald Trump.

However, after his inaugurated this past Mondy, President Trump issued pardons for many who were convicted for the US Capitol incident that took place on 6th January four years prior, however, he has still not issued any pardons for pro-life activists.

There were initial reports that had believed that one pro-life activist, Bevelyn Beatty Williams, had been pardoned, however, her husband Rickey Williams later confirmed on X that this was not the case. He had travelled of state to her prison in Alabama with balloons and flowers, only to be told to go home.  

“My wife is still incarcerated along with the other 20 pro-lifers. We have not gotten back word yet on a signature for her or the others pardons. The J6ers were all pardoned last night and hoping this can get on the President’s desk TODAY and DONE TODAY! Not TOMORROW or NEXT WEEK!” he said in one post

However, he later added in another that:

“I just need to put this out there. My wife Bevelyn Beatty Williams will be pardoned. The timing may not be our timing but it will happen. Pro-Lifers have not been forgotten. This is for the families of those who have loved ones still incarcerated and have no idea of what is going on. You are not forgotten! You are hearing this from me. All of the anxiety and concerns can rest. March for Life is also this weekend! Stay tuned!”




In light of the absence of pardons for these pro-life activists, Ricky Williams is joined by many, including Lila Rose and LifeNews, in urging President Trump to keep to his promise and pardon his wife, alongside to other pro-life activists who were unfairly prosecuted.

“Bevelyn Williams sits in prison, her husband and toddler daughter waiting for her to come home Joan Bell sits in prison, her grandchildren and children waiting for her to come home + 19 other peaceful pro-life activists in prison or facing sentences by Biden’s DOJ Pardon them,@realDonaldTrump!” Lila Rose said in a post on X.

Sandra Parda of the Life Institute commented, saying: “There were 436 attacks on Churches in the US in 2023, but no one was prosecuted, but on the other hand, 21 peaceful activists were put in prison for standing to protect the unborn. How is this justice?”

“It is clear that these pro-life activists were unfairly prosecuted for protecting innocent little babies from death, and we too urge President Donald Trump to keep his promise and pardon these pro-lifers so they can return home to their families.”

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