Pardoned pro-life activists are speaking out about their experiences in prison and the freedom they now embrace following their release after receiving clemency from President Donald Trump. These individuals, who had been convicted for acts of so-called “civil disobedience” in support of anti-abortion causes, reflect on the emotional and physical toll of incarceration. With their newfound freedom, they express gratitude for the opportunity to continue their activism and advocate for the pro-life movement.
Twenty-three pro-life individuals were convicted under the FACE Act for actions such as praying outside abortion clinics and advocating for women to choose life. Many of those sentenced were elderly.
Seventy-five-year-old Paulette Harlow praised Trump for “sav[ing] her life” after being sentenced to 24 months for charges of federal conspiracy against rights and FACE Act violation. She and her husband thanked Trump “from the bottom of [their] hearts,” calling the arrest “ridiculous” and unnecessary.
“We were peaceful. We were prayerful. We were just there to help the mothers and babies,” she told the Daily Signal, adding that she was not surprised by the pardon because Trump promised to help those incarcerated, and he follows through on his promises.
“I’ve seen him continually say that he’s going to do something and then do it. And so I really like that. I really like that. He’s a man of his word,” Harlow continued.
Fifty-five-year-old William Goodman was serving a 27-month sentence for violating the FACE Act in Connecticut when Trump pardoned him.
Goodman expressed that they believe the president, having been targeted by the weaponized Department of Justice and state attorneys general himself, would understand their struggles. He felt that when Trump referred to them as "political hostages," he genuinely meant it and empathized with their situation. He praised Trump for the courage he had to pardon pro-lifers and for standing up to the weaponization of the government.
“His tenacity and his willingness to fight really gave many Americans and patriots inspiration to stand firm and not to compromise,” Goodman said.
Sen. Mike Lee (R-Utah) and Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) are acting to try and repeal the FACE Act so it can no longer be weaponized against anti-abortionists under future Democrat presidencies.
In a press release statement, Roy said that the legislation would protect pro-lifers who have been or will in the future be targeted by the weaponized justice system.
Americans just spent the last four years being targeted by a weaponized justice system. The FACE Act was one of the primary weapons of abuse — being used to politically target, arrest, and jail pro-life Americans for speaking out and standing up for life. While President Trump and his team are already fast at work reversing the damage of the J6 political prosecutions and persecutions through pardons and commutations, I am hopeful those targeted under the FACE Act will be given similar relief. But importantly, we in Congress need to do our part to eliminate the laws used for the weaponization, including the FACE Act. Data my office obtained from Merrick Garland's DOJ showed that 97% of FACE Act prosecutions from 1994-2024 were against pro-life Americans. Now that we have a Republican trifecta in the House, Senate, and White House, Congress should move quickly to repeal this law and ensure that no future president can weaponize it against pro-lifers ever again. No more excuses, let's get it done.