Biden DOJ’s Enforcement Of FACE Act Sparks Debate Over Selective Prosecution

The Biden administration’s Department of Justice (DOJ) is under fire for its aggressive prosecution of pro-life activists using the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act. The case of Heather Idoni, a 61-year-old pro-life grandmother from Michigan, has ignited a debate about the severity and punitive nature of the DOJ’s actions.

Idoni along with several others is accused of blocking access to a Washington, D.C., abortion clinic in 2020. The DOJ alleges that the group used their bodies furniture chains and ropes to obstruct entrance to the facility while livestreaming their actions on social media. As a result, Idoni faces felony conspiracy charges that could lead to up to 50 years in federal prison and over $1 million in fines.

"Heather Idoni was treated like a violent criminal when U.S. marshals led the mother of five and adopted mother of 10 into court to the shock of those present, including the judge" and later suffered a stroke. https://t.co/UkmbsvN9Ly

— Fr. Dave Nix (@FrDaveNix) May 3, 2024

Reports indicate that Idoni has been subjected to 22 days of solitary confinement and was brought into court heavily shackled shocking even the presiding judge who ordered the shackles to be partially removed. Idoni’s supporters see her treatment as emblematic of a broader pattern of the Biden DOJ’s aggressive stance against pro-life individuals.

BREAKING: Six pro-life activists were just found guilty in federal court after being prosecuted by Biden's DOJ under the FACE Act for protesting outside a Nashville abortion clinic.

Here's a snippet of the protest, which occurred on March 5, 2021.

For the crime of praying and… pic.twitter.com/UPzZvtZebM

— Greg Price (@greg_price11) January 30, 2024

Since the reversal of Roe v. Wade the FACE Act has been invoked 130 times against pro-life activists compared to only three times against pro-abortion protesters since the law’s inception. Critics argue that the DOJ’s handling of various groups demonstrates selective enforcement based on political expediency pointing to the contrast in their approach to other forms of protest especially those involving violence.

The conservative community and pro-life advocates have rallied around Idoni viewing her case as a symbol of perceived bias in the DOJ’s enforcement decisions.