This article is adapted from the 2025 Mississippi Life Summit Session by Steve Crampton and sponsored by the Thomas More Society and AFA Action.

Edited by Laura Knight

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The origin story:

The FACE Act (Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act) was enacted in 1994 under President Bill Clinton and is found in the Criminal Code 18 USC section 248. Congressman Chuck Schumer and Senator Ted Kennedy shepherded the bill through Congress after decades of litigation by the abortion industry.

The FACE Act prohibits “whoever by force or threat of force or by physical obstruction” from interfering with access to ‘reproductive health services.’ While force and threats were already illegal under state law, “physical obstruction” was a new addition.

The law’s wording is complicated, especially with the addition of “physical obstruction” and “intentionally injures, intimidates or interferes with or attempts to injure, intimidate, or interfere with any person…” Notably, there is no geographical limitation—someone obstructing access in one state could be prosecuted if the intent is to prevent travel for reproductive health services anywhere, even across state lines. However, protests for other causes that obstruct traffic or movement, like labor disputes, may not fall under FACE, raising questions about whether the law is applied in a truly content-neutral way.

Who Is Protected under FACE?

FACE defines “reproductive health services” as those services provided in hospitals, clinics, or physicians’ offices. Actions by abortion facility staff are covered, but most independent sidewalk counselors are not. Only those officially associated with a facility or a nearby pregnancy resource center may be protected. Does the law operate neutrally, or is it disproportionately targeting pro-life activists and limiting First Amendment rights? It was an incredible feat to draft this law and shepherd it through Congress while pretending that it didn’t interfere with First Amendment rights.

How has FACE been enforced?

Between 1994 and 2021, 142 cases were brought under the FACE Act: 80 under Clinton, 16 under Bush, 27 under Obama, 19 under Trump’s first term, and two under Biden’s first year. Of these, only one case defended a pro-life facility, three defended mosques, and none defended churches. Congressman Chip Roy’s research found that 94% of FACE charges target pro-lifers, suggesting the law was intended as a weapon against them.

FACE includes a provision meant to protect churches and individuals seeking to practice their faith, but prosecutions for interference with church access have been rare. Since the Dobbs leak in 2022, 323 churches and nearly 100 pregnancy resource centers have been attacked. Victims often must point out FACE violations against their own churches or pregnancy centers to authorities.

Harmeet Dhillon, the new assistant attorney general for the civil rights division, has pledged to prosecute those attacking churches and crisis pregnancy centers. Will Democrats support repealing FACE if it is used against their own interests?

New Legal Strategies

The Biden administration’s reproductive rights task force started enforcing FACE more vigorously, even charging peaceful protesters from years previously. For the first time, prosecutors added “Conspiracy Against Rights” (18 USC section 241), a law from 1870 enacted to protect newly enfranchised African Americans. This law prohibits conspiracies to injure, oppress, threaten, or intimidate anyone in the exercise of constitutional rights.

After the Dobbs decision overruled Roe v. Wade, the government argued that pro-lifers conspired to deprive access to reproductive health services under FACE. Penalties for FACE violations bring a 6-month sentence, but conspiracy charges can bring up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The FACE Act Defendants: Stories of Conviction and Courage

After the Dobbs case was argued in December 2021, it was clear to many that Roe would fall. In response, Biden’s DOJ ramped up arrests of pro-life protestors. As each trial unfolded, all except Mark Houck received guilty verdicts. Pro-life groups showed unwavering support, gathering daily outside courthouses to sing hymns and worship. Despite their peaceful presence, US Marshals, bomb-sniffing dogs, and drones were deployed, treating these protestors as if they were dangerous criminals. The government tried to get each defendant to accept a plea deal, but many stood firm.

Lauren Handy: A Rescue in DC

On March 24, 2022, Lauren and several others were indicted for a peaceful protest in October 2020. Lauren and her friends had used the ‘lock and block’ approach inside an abortion facility, locking their arms together in a way that delayed police removal. Lauren’s case was unique—her group actually entered the clinic, risking arrest for their beliefs.

Lauren’s activism focused on the Washington Surgi-Center, owned by late-term abortionist Cesare Santangelo. Undercover videos from Live Action in 2013 revealed that Santangelo’s facility did not attempt to resuscitate babies born alive after abortion, transforming Lauren into a passionate pro-life activist. Yet, during her trial, the judge wouldn’t allow her to testify about these illegal activities or play the video for the jury.

Lauren was arrested the day after reporting to police that her group found a medical-waste bucket from Santangelo’s facility containing 115 aborted fetuses, including five babies near full term who were probably born alive. The heartbreaking campaign continues to seek “Justice for the Five.” Instead of investigating Santangelo’s facility, authorities arrested the pro-lifers.

A clinic worker claimed to have twisted an ankle during the protest. Because of this injury, the judge determined—after the jury’s guilty verdict—that the crime was violent under federal statute, requiring immediate custody for the defendants. The courtroom was packed with US Marshals when the verdict was announced, and Lauren was taken into custody on the spot.

Mark Houck: A Not Guilty Verdict

In September 2022, Mark Houck’s home was raided at gunpoint by 25 FBI SWAT team members in full tactical gear, despite his legal team having offered to bring him in voluntarily. Mark Houck was found not guilty in a jury trial—the only defendant to be acquitted. All other clients were found guilty.

Paul Vaughn: Arrested at Gunpoint

Paul Vaughn’s ordeal began in October 2022, when he was arrested at gunpoint in front of his wife and children, then chained to a table for six hours of interrogation. His involvement stemmed from a peaceful protest at a Mount Juliet, Tennessee abortion facility, where he simply stood in a hallway and never physically blocked the clinic entrance. Although FBI agents were present that day, they made no arrests. Some participants were later cited for trespassing, but those charges were dismissed. Nineteen months later, Paul was suddenly arrested, processed for hours, and released in Nashville without a phone or money- leaving his wife unaware of his whereabouts.

Cal Zastrow: Faith in Adversity

Cal Zastrow was sentenced to six months in the Tennessee case and placed in one of the most violent federal penitentiaries in the country. Despite being a peaceful pro-life protestor, Cal believed the Lord was with him as he preached to 1,200 inmates during his time there.

These stories reveal the courage and conviction of individuals who risked their freedom to save lives. Their experiences highlight the intense scrutiny and consequences faced by peaceful protestors under the FACE Act.

Extraordinary Pardons

In December 2024, Chip Roy and Mike Lee led efforts in Congress to repeal the FACE Act, with Paul Vaughn and others testifying in support. By January 2025, all our clients were appealing their convictions, and some Detroit cases hadn’t been sentenced. During his campaign, President Trump promised to pardon these pro-lifers if elected, so we submitted complex pardon petitions for 21 pro-lifers and waited.

On January 23, 2025, the Lord opened a window of grace. President Trump kept his promise, signing pardons for 21 pro-life activists. The news came suddenly, and US Marshals rushed to release the prisoners before midnight. Some, like Lauren Handy, were awakened at 11:50 pm and told to gather their things in five minutes. It felt like Peter’s miraculous escape in Acts 12. The Lord truly works in mysterious ways.

This was more than a legal victory; it was a testament to faith, perseverance, and unity.  Now, the House Judiciary Committee has moved the REPEAL FACE Act bill forward, and Speaker Johnson could bring it to a vote soon.  The Senate will need 60 votes to overcome the filibuster.

Let’s move this bill forward. Let us rise, lay aside every weight, and run the race set before us—trusting Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, and restore a culture of life in America.