Trump Administration Claims FACE Act Enforcement Weaponizes Law Against Conservatives

The U.S. Department of Justice published a report on April 14, 2026, alleging that the administration of former President Joe Biden weaponized the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act to unfairly target Christians and conservatives who oppose abortion.

The report is the first official product released by the DOJ’s Weaponization Working Group. This task force was established early in the second term of President Donald Trump to investigate perceived wrongdoing and the misuse of legal authority by the Biden administration.

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche announced the findings, stating that the enforcement of the FACE Act under the previous administration serves as the prototypical example of the law being weaponized against conservative individuals.

The Weaponization Working Group

The Weaponization Working Group was created by former Attorney General Pam Bondi as one of her initial actions upon taking office in 2025. The report released on April 14, 2026, represents the first meaningful outcome of the group’s investigations into the Biden administration’s conduct.

In a statement accompanying the publication, Blanche criticized the previous administration’s approach to law enforcement.

This Department will not tolerate a two-tiered system of justice. No Department should conduct selective prosecution based on beliefs.

Todd Blanche

The report contends that the Biden Justice Department engaged in biased prosecutions and lawsuits specifically aimed at those who protested abortion, utilizing the FACE Act to achieve political ends.

Overview of the FACE Act

The Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act was signed into law more than 30 years ago, specifically in 1994, following a series of attacks on abortion providers. The federal law is designed to protect reproductive health clinics from violence and interference.

Under the act, it is prohibited to use threats, acts of violence, obstruction, or property damage to interfere with reproductive health care services, including the provision of abortions. The law prohibits similar threats or obstruction at places of religious worship.

Defense of Biden-Era Enforcement

Kristen Clarke, who served as the top civil rights lawyer for the Biden administration, defended the department’s use of the FACE Act. In a statement, Clarke asserted that the Civil Rights Division acted to address real-world violence, obstruction, and threats of violence facing reproductive health care staff.

Clarke noted that the department brought together various stakeholders to address these issues, including:

• Law enforcement leaders
• Representatives from crisis pregnancy centers
• Faith leaders
• Reproductive health care staff

Clarke maintained that the administration enforced the law even-handedly and kept public safety as the central focus of its work. Records indicate that the Biden administration initiated approximately two dozen cases under the FACE Act during its tenure.

Broader Legal Context

The release of the report comes as Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche faces pressure from President Trump to pursue prosecutions against political adversaries. The Justice Department has already made efforts to investigate other opponents of the president, including former FBI Director James Comey and New York Attorney General Letitia James, though the department has failed to secure a successful case in those instances.

The Trump administration’s DOJ has also utilized the FACE Act in its own prosecutions. Earlier in 2026, the department brought charges against former CNN journalist Don Lemon and others after a protest entered a church in Minnesota.

While the DOJ report alleges a pattern of bias, reporting from the Washington Post on April 14, 2026, indicated that the evidence supporting these claims is limited. The report further noted that the Trump administration has faced its own criticisms regarding the misuse of law enforcement resources.